The Tarantula Nebula (NGC 2070, also called 30 Doradus) is the largest and most active star-forming region in our entire galactic neighborhood, blazing inside the Large Magellanic Cloud some 160,000 light-years away. So luminous that if it sat as close as the Orion Nebula it would cast shadows on Earth, it is famous for hosting R136 — a dense cluster packed with some of the most massive stars ever found — and for being the site of supernova 1987A, the closest observed stellar explosion in nearly 400 years.

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Spacecraft

James Webb Space Telescope

Another great explorer

Deep-sky object

Bubble Nebula

Another cosmic wonder

Deep-sky object

Carina Nebula

Another cosmic wonder

Deep-sky object

Cat's Eye Nebula

Another cosmic wonder

Deep-sky object

Cone Nebula

Another cosmic wonder

Deep-sky object

Crab Nebula

Another cosmic wonder