NGC 3603 (12/9/2003)
星星的一生包括了很多個階段，而這輻圖已經包含了它們。這是一個叫NGC3603的地方，圖的右方是星雲，恆星誕生的地方；中間很多星聚在一起的是一個星團，而這個星團是一個星爆星團，表示它會有很多恆星誕生。而星團的左面，是已經進入老年的超藍巨星 Sher 25，這顆星將它的物質向外拋而形成了一個兩極外向流，標誌著一顆星將要面對死亡。

Caption:: In this stunning picture of the giant galactic nebula NGC 3603, the Hubble telescope's crisp resolution captures various stages of the life cycle of stars in one single view. This picture nicely illustrates the entire stellar life cycle of stars, starting with the Bok globules and giant gaseous pillars (evidence of embryonic stars), followed by circumstellar disks around young stars, and progressing to aging, massive stars in a young starburst cluster. The blue super-giant with its ring and bipolar outflow [upper left of center] marks the end of the life cycle.

Credit:: Wolfgang Brandner (JPL/IPAC), Eva K. Grebel (Univ. Washington), You-Hua Chu (Univ. Illinois Urbana-Champaign), and NASA