Stars and Nebulae in dwarf galaxy NGC 6822

This image is a reproduction of a narrow-band image of the central region of NGC 6822. This image was taken with a filter centred on the H-alpha spectral line of atomic hydrogen. It was obtained by the FORS1 Commissioning Team on October 2, 1998, in the FORS high-resolution imaging mode. The exposure time was 15 min and the atmospheric conditions were good. The size of the stellar images in the field is about 0.5 arcsec and this photo shows more details than earlier ones obtained with ground-based telescopes of this galaxy. In addition to numerous stars that emit a continuous spectrum, the image also shows diffuse emission from interstellar hydrogen gas in NGC 6822. Moreover, strong H-alpha emission is seen from several stellar-wind bubbles around hot young stars.