This glowing image, shared in honor of the 21st anniversary of the Hubble Telescope, shows a young star cluster surrounded by clouds of gas and dust in deep space.

The cluster, called NGC 3603, is about 20,000 light-years away from us. Although they formed at the same time, the stars have different masses and are each at a different stage of their lives.

As Hubble's 35th birthday approaches, each year is celebrated with a special photo - the countdown is on for a brand new series of anniversary images!

Image description:

A dense cluster of yellow stars shines in the center of the image, with more stars scattered around. Clouds of glowing indigo gas and dust dominate the lower half of the image, and a red star with diffraction spikes shines in the upper right.

 

Image credits: NASA, ESA, R. O'Connell (University of Virginia), F. Paresce (National Institute of Astrophysics, Bologna, Italy), E. Young (Universities Space Research Association/Ames Research Center), WFC3 Science Oversight Committee and Hubble Legacy Team (STScI/AURA)

Do you think it looks like a firework?