This image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope showcases RCW 7, a stunning nebula located approximately 5,300 light-years away in the constellation Puppis. Nebulae like RCW 7 are rich in the materials necessary for star formation. Within these molecular clouds, gravity causes regions to collapse, forming young protostars surrounded by swirling disks of gas and dust.
The protostars within RCW 7 are notably massive, emitting intense ionizing radiation and powerful stellar winds. These energetic processes have transformed RCW 7 into an H II region, characterized by ionized hydrogen gas glowing brightly.
H II regions like RCW 7 contain ionized hydrogen atoms (H II), emitting light due to ultraviolet radiation from massive protostars. In a recent study using Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3, astronomers focused on IRAS 07299-1651, a massive protostellar binary within RCW 7, observed in near-infrared light to penetrate the surrounding gas and dust. While massive protostars emit primarily ultraviolet light, they also emit infrared light that can be observed through the nebula’s gas.
The gradual dispersion of RCW 7’s gas, driven by radiation and winds from these stars and eventual supernova explosions, marks the beginning of the end for the molecular cloud. This process will redistribute much of the gas throughout the galaxy, forming new molecular clouds and allowing new stars to form with remnants of RCW 7’s original material.
