Scientists combine the power of 3 telescopes to capture a stunning image of Westerlund 1
Westerlund 1 is a young star cluster located about 12,000 light-years away in the southern constellation Ara (the Altar). It has an estimated total mass of between 50,000 and 100,000 solar masses. As such, it is classified as a “super star cluster.”
Super star clusters are young star clusters that contain tens of thousands of stars tightly packed together. Westerlund 1 is one of the biggest super star cluster in the Milky Way — and also the closest to Earth.
This new image of Westerlund 1 features X-ray data from Chandra, infrared data from Webb, and optical data from Hubble. Chandra’s data is observed in pink, blue, purple, and orange. Webb’s infrared data is shown in yellow, gold, and blue. Hubble’s data appears in cyan, gray, and light yellow.
The image shows countless stars in the cluster. There are the brighter and more massive ones. There are also smaller stars scattered around, appearing as tiny specks. In the surroundings is purple haze, which represents hot, high-energy gas.
Mottled golden clouds are also present in the surroundings. This represents cooler dust and gas where new stars are formed.
This image was released on July 23, 2025. It is part of a new collection of images that features data from Chandra along with a host of other telescopes.
Source(s)
Chandra X-ray Observatory and NASA: 1 and 2
Image source: NASA, CXC, SAO, ESA, STScI, SAO, and L. Frattare
