In June 2011, the WISE telescope imaged a massive complex of star birth zones and star clusters in the constellation Cygnus. Star clusters are groups of stars that formed in the same region and at a similar point in time and stay together for millions or billions of years due to gravitational pull.

As the lifetimes of different types of stars vary, the structure of these clusters evolves over time. Some clusters contain massive and hot O-type stars, while others are made up of smaller and cooler stars, undergoing a process of change over billions of years. The size of star clusters is highly variable; some contain only a few dozen stars, while others can host millions of stars. These stars can be found in small areas a few light-years across, or they can form massive structures that span hundreds of light-years.

WISE (Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer) was a space telescope observing at infrared wavelengths. It was deactivated in February 2011 after completing its first astrophysics mission. However, in 2013, it was reactivated with a new mission to detect near-Earth asteroids and comets and was named NEOWISE (Near-Earth Object Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer). It continued to operate under this new mission and ended its mission on July 31, 2024.

Image description:

This image is dominated by swirling green clouds, except in the upper left and center, where red clouds are also present. A few bright yellow stars shine through the most prominent clouds. There are also small dots of multicolored - but mostly blue - light throughout the entire area.

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA