Abstract
There is ample evidence for current star formation within the 30 Doradus nebula, in and just beyond the curved nebular filaments surrounding R 136. These filaments appear to be "star-forming fronts" moving into the dense dust clouds beyond. This evidence comes from the intercomparison of groundbased IR continuum, H2, and Brγ observations with HST/WFPC2 narrow and broadband images of the inner 30 Doradus nebula. Numerous heavily embedded massive stars have been discovered in or near the bright nebular filaments west and northeast of R 136, and their locations are intimately connected with bright and dark nebular structures. Optical spectral classifications of early O stars in dense nebular knots and CO data also contribute to the emerging picture, which suggests that a new stellar generation is being triggered by the energetic activity of the massive central cluster around its periphery.
