R136: The Massive Stars of 30 Doradus

In the center of star-forming region 30 Doradus lies a huge cluster of the largest, hottest, most massive stars known. These stars, known as the star cluster R136 , and part of the surrounding nebula are captured here in this gorgeous visible-light image from the Hubble Space Telescope . Gas and dust clouds in 30 Doradus , also known as the Tarantula Nebula, have been sculpted into elongated shapes by powerful winds and ultraviolet radiation from these hot cluster stars. The 30 Doradus Nebula lies within a neighboring galaxy, the Large Magellanic Cloud , located a mere 170,000 light-years away.