Superbubbles in the LMC
Why is there a hole in the center of this nebula? A leading explanation is
that it is caused by the stellar winds from the stars that live there.
Stars - including the
Sun - expel
electrons,
protons, and other charged
ions in a steady stream - the
stellar
wind. The wind ions
push out the normal
hydrogen and
helium gas found glowing in the nebula.
This star forming region is located in the
Large Magellanic Cloud.
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.
It is currently not known why stars emit a stellar wind.