Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. Massive star IRS4 is beginning to spread its wings. S106 gas near IRS4 acts as an emission nebula as it emits light after being ionized , while dust far from IRS4 reflects light from the central star and so acts as a reflection nebula . Detailed inspection of this representative colour infrared image has revealed hundreds of low-mass brown dwarf stars lurking in the nebula's gas.
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