w5, a radio source within the nebula, spans an area of sky equivalent to four full moons and is about 6,500 light-years away in the constellation cassiopeia. like other massive star-forming regions, such as orion and carina, w5 contains large cavities that were carved out by radiation and winds from the region's most massive stars. according to the theory of triggered star formation, the carving out of these cavities pushes gas together, causing it to ignite into successive generations of new stars. the image in the gallery above contains some of the best evidence yet for the triggered star formation theory. scientists analyzing the photo have been able to show that the ages of the stars become progressively and systematically younger with distance from the center of the cavities.