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NASA's Hubble shares image of ‘cosmic reef’ revealing galaxies shaped like an alien ocean

At the heart of the red nebula, called NGC 2014, lie bright young stars. Each is 10 to 20 times heavier than our Sun.

August 13, 2025 / 11:06 IST
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Wolf-Rayet Nebula and Star Forming Region (Image: NASA)

Looking at this image feels like peering into a dream. The Hubble Space Telescope has captured a scene that looks like an alien ocean. NASA shared it in 2020 to celebrate three decades of space discovery.

Giant Red and Blue Nebulas in the Magellanic Cloud

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The picture shows a giant red nebula and a smaller blue neighbour. Both belong to a star-forming region in the Large Magellanic Cloud. This galaxy orbits the Milky Way and is 163,000 light years away. Astronomers call the image the Cosmic Reef because the shapes resemble coral.

At the heart of the red nebula, called NGC 2014, lie bright young stars. Each is 10 to 20 times heavier than our Sun. Their ultraviolet light heats the surrounding dense gas. The stars also release strong winds of charged particles. These winds blow away lighter gas, creating bubble-like shapes. The right side of the nebula shows coral-like arcs. On the left, gas and dust pile up into ridges lit by starlight. The blue areas glow with oxygen heated to 20,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Cooler red gas shows hydrogen and nitrogen.