Coronet Cluster: A region of star formation about 420 light
years from Earth. Caption: The Corona Australis region is one of
the nearest and most active regions of ongoing star formation in
our Galaxy. At only 420 light years away, the Coronet is 3.5
times closer than the Orion Nebula Cluster. The Coronet contains
a loose cluster of a few dozen known young stars with a wide
range of masses at various stages of evolution. The central area
of the star-forming region contains the densest clustering of
very young stars, embedded in dust and gas. This composite image
shows the Coronet in X-rays (Chandra, purple) and infrared
emission (Spitzer, orange, green, and cyan). By studying the
variability in different energies, scientists hope to better
understand the evolution of very young stars. Scale: Image is
16.8 arcmin per side. Chandra X-ray Observatory ACIS Image