NGC 3603 (left) and NGC 3576 (right).
NGC 3603 (left) and NGC 3576 (right) are two of the most luminous HII regions in our galaxy but their juxtaposition is really an illusion. The objects are physically unrelated, NGC 3603 being twice as far as NGC 3576. Although they appear side by side NGC 3603 is located in the carina arm of our galaxy while NGC 3576 resides in the Sagittarius arm. There are some similarities as both are undergoing a high rate of sequential star formation. NGC 3603, a Giant HII region is an extraordinary object. It is likely the most massive visible HII region in our galaxy extending at least 1000 light years across and containing the overall mass of 10,000 suns. At its center is the extremely compact and bright cluster core, HD 97950 which contains at least 50 massive O type stars including several Wolf-Rayet types.
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Photo credit: © Robert Gendler/Stocktrek Images / Alamy / Afripics
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