Jewel Box Cluster

The Jewel Box Cluster (or Kappa Crucis or NGC 4755) is located 6400 light years away from Earth in the constellation of Crux, better known as the Southern Cross. Astronomer Sir John Herschel described it as "a casket of variously coloured precious stones". The red star, Kappa Crucis, is a supergiant star approaching the end of its life. Once blue, it has now turned red and it will soon (on a cosmic scale) explode as a supernova. Our article about stars explains the birth, life and death of stars. The age of the star cluster is estimated to be 14 million years, quite young for a star cluster.

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