... At the nebula's center is an ultra-dense neutron star that rotates 30 times a second. ... Our Galaxy in Stars, Gas, and Dust . ... The red nebulae visible in the above contrast-enhanced picture are primarily emission nebulae, glowing clouds of hydrogen gas heated by nearby, bright, young stars. M83: A Barred Spiral Galaxy . ... The Quintuplet Cluster is located within 100 light-years of the Galactic center, and is home to the brightest star yet cataloged in our Galaxy: the Pistol Star. ...