Stellar Nursery

Bright star clusters and billowing clouds of gas and dust form the Perseus Molecular Cloud, shown in infrared in this newly released image from Spitzer Space Telescope. The image spans 500 light-years. The bright blob at left center is IC 348, a newly forming star cluster. The sparkly region at right center is NC 1333, a more mature star cluster that has blown away most of its original gas. The cloud is about 1,000 light-years from Earth. [NASA/JPL/Caltech]