Star-forming Region IRAS 20126+4104 in Cygnus | Hubble Space Telescope

Star-forming Region IRAS 20126+4104 in Cygnus | Hubble Space Telescope

The massive star-forming region, IRAS 20126+4104, is located in the direction of the Cygnus superbubble and is approximately 100 parsecs above the Galactic plane. Massive stars have dramatic impacts throughout the universe, but their birth, deep within dusty molecular clouds, is literally shrouded in uncertainty. However, during this process, powerful outflows blast open low density cavities and near-infrared light (NIR) shines out from the forming star, beamed as if from a lighthouse through turbulent storm clouds. This light carries crucial information that can guide us to a deeper understanding of massive star formation.

Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Image Processor Judy Schmidt: "A rather quickly processed view of IRAS 20126+4104 from HST. IRAS was the Infrared Astronomical Satellite, and the name is from its catalog of discoveries. This is a fluff ball of dust with some young stellar objects (YSOs) in it. Specifically, the reddish orange glowing areas near the center of the image are where a star is accreting whatever matter is in its locality."

The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA.

Image Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA

Image Processing: Judy Schmidt
Release Date: July 21, 2025

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