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This gaseous and dusty scene is actively generating nascent stars.(Image credit: NASA, ESA, and K. Stapelfeldt (Jet Propulsion Laboratory); Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America))ShareShare by:
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What it is: Lupus 3 (GN 16.05.2 and Bernes 149) molecular cloud
Where it is: Roughly 500 light-years distant, inside the constellation Scorpius
When it was shared: Jan. 26, 2026
A seemingly placid nebula of gas and dust might not appear particularly stimulating, yet it cradles one of the most pivotal occurrences in astronomy: stellar genesis.
Inspect with care this strikingly exquisite portrayal of Lupus 3, as chronicled by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. Tranquil but filled with dynamism, cerulean tendrils of gas and dust coil toward a somber dust nebula within the bottom-left segment. Those tendrils signify the birthplace of young stars of a specific kind, though they can be discerned throughout the panorama, predominantly at the center left, bottom right and top center. Known as T Tauri stars, they’re immature — less than 10 million years of age, thus newly born in a cosmic context — and exhibit remarkable shifts in luminescence as they burgeon and progress.
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T Tauri stars possess a distinctiveness. Rarely observed in the Milky Way, they stimulate stargazers, symbolizing the initial phases of a star’s existence, throughout which they persist in contracting via gravitational energies.
They additionally progressively commence the atomic fusion procedure that will characterize them as stars. Nonetheless, the surrounding turmoil — spanning from potent stellar winds to substance descending onto the stars — induces the light reaching Hubble’s 7.8-foot (2.4 meters) reflector and Wide Field Camera 3 to waver. T Tauri stars frequently discharge considerable bursts and alter in radiance over more extended intervals, given that immense “sunspots” upon their surface pivot into and out of sight.
The majority of Lupus 3 is obscure, with starlight emanating from those T Tauri stars illuminating portions of the molecular nebula, engendering the azure reflection nebula designated GN 16.05.2 or Bernes 149. Via observations across numerous light wavelengths, Hubble can infiltrate the veiling dust, discerning the events transpiring within molecular nebula complexes akin to Lupus 3, alongside the notable Orion, Rho Ophiuchi and Taurus molecular cloud complexes, and the Eagle Nebula (M16).
Such images have assisted astronomers in observing processes unseen by earthbound telescopes, refining our models concerning the genesis of stars and planetary configurations.
For supplementary sublime cosmic imagery, explore our Space Photo of the Week archives.
TOPICSspace photo of the week
Jamie CarterSocial Links NavigationLive Science contributor
Jamie Carter is a Cardiff, U.K.-based independent science journalist and a recurring contributor to Live Science. He authored A Stargazing Program For Beginners and co-authored The Eclipse Effect, and conducts worldwide stargazing and eclipse-following journeys. His work is featured consistently in Space.com, Forbes, New Scientist, BBC Sky at Night, Sky & Telescope, and additional prominent science and astronomical journals. He also serves as the editor of WhenIsTheNextEclipse.com.
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