Log In or Register
Located near the famous "Cat Paw" nebula (NGC 6334), the Stellar Cluster Pismis 24 lies at the core of NGC 6357. Its stars include some of the most massive stellar behemoths known. One of the brightest stars in the cluster, Pismis 24-1, was thought possibly to be the most massive on record, approaching 300 solar masses, until it was discovered by the Hubble Telescope to be a triple star, with large components exceeding 100 solar masses. Massive protostars, invisible to optical telescopes, lie hidden within the gas and dust of the region.
Another great astropic from Robert Gendler consisting of more than 40 hours of exposures.
Image Credit: Robert Gendler