Ionized by energetic starlight, a hydrogen atom emits the characteristic red H-alpha light as its single electron is recaptured and transitions to lower energy states.
As a result, this image of the LMC seems covered with shell-shaped clouds of hydrogen gas surrounding massive, young stars.
Sculpted by the strong stellar winds and ultraviolet radiation, the glowing hydrogen clouds are known as H II (ionized hydrogen) regions.
This high resolution mosaic view was recorded in 6 segments, each with 200 minutes of exposure time.
Itself composed of many overlapping shells, the Tarantula Nebula, is the large star forming region near top center.
A satellite of our Milky Way Galaxy, the LMC is about 15,000 light-years across and lies a mere 180,000 light-years away in the constellation Dorado.
