
A sparkling stellar nursery appears reminiscent of the early universe in new images from the Hubble Space Telescope.
The emission nebula, known as Sh2-284, is an immense region of gas and dust that fuels new star formation. Located 15,000 light-years from Earth, at the end of an outer spiral arm of our Milky Way galaxy, Sh2-284 lacks elements heavier than hydrogen and helium, much like the environment of the early universe, according to a statement from NASA.