Like diamonds, young stars sparkle from within the nebula NGC 3603.

Located in one of our galaxy’s spiral arms, this star-forming region is about 20,000 light-years away.

While a lot of the stars in this view were born at about the same time, they differ in size, mass, temperature, and color. A star’s lifespan is determined by its mass, so this cluster is home to stars in various stages of their lives.

However, this star cluster does contain some of the most massive stars known. These enormous stars live fast and die young, burning through their hydrogen fuel quickly and ultimately ending their lives in supernova explosions.

A bright blue-white cluster of stars shines at the center of the image, surrounded by glowing red clouds and additional stars, all against black space.

Credits: NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration; Acknowledgment: J. Maíz Apellániz (Institute of Astrophysics of Andalucía, Spain)