AAPOD2 Image Archives
N44 and the Superbubble in the Large Magellanic Cloud
N44 is a massive emission nebula in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way about 160,000 light-years away. Spanning nearly 1,000 light-years across, this turbulent region glows with energized hydrogen gas sculpted by powerful stellar winds. Near its center lies a vast cavity known as a superbubble, carved out by intense radiation and multiple supernova explosions from clusters of young, massive stars.
The intricate structures of N44 reveal the interplay between star birth and stellar destruction, with bright knots of blue-green oxygen and red hydrogen tracing the expanding shock fronts. This delicate balance of energy and gas recycling makes N44 a vivid laboratory for understanding how galaxies sustain new generations of stars.