A Star Forming Region in the LMC

Stars sometimes form in colorful ways. Pictured above is a small region in the nearby LMC galaxy where stars are forming. After a star is born , it may do several things to energize its immediate neighborhood. It may develop a strong wind which pushes away nearby gas ; it may be so hot and intense that emitted light boils away nearby dust and gas , and it may be so massive that it soon goes supernova and catapults its elements back to the interstellar medium . Astronomers study regions like this - named DEM192 - to better understand how these and other processes proceed. This picture is a composite of three separate photographs, each sensitive to only one specific color of light - a color that distinguishes a specific chemical element .