This dramatic false-color view captures NGC 6334, the Cat’s Paw Nebula, in the Hubble SHO palette. Glowing hydrogen, oxygen, and sulfur trace vast regions of star formation nearly 5,500 light-years away in the constellation Scorpius. The nebula’s intricate structure and emission arcs give it its distinctive paw-like appearance, with several embedded star-forming regions illuminating the surrounding gas and dust.

Narrowband data isolates the emission from hydrogen-alpha, doubly ionized oxygen, and singly ionized sulfur, revealing fine filaments and shock fronts that are nearly invisible in broadband light. This composite highlights the violent, dynamic processes sculpting the nebula as young stars continue to form within its molecular clouds.