Close Up of the Bubble Nebula
Explanation:
It's the bubble versus the cloud. NGC 7635, the
Bubble Nebula, is being
pushed out by the
stellar wind
of massive central star BD+602522.
Next door, though, lives a
giant molecular cloud,
visible
above to the upper left.
At this place in space, an
irresistible force
meets an
immovable object
in an interesting way.
The cloud is able to
contain the expansion of the bubble gas,
but gets blasted by the hot radiation from the bubble's central star.
The
radiation heats up dense regions of the molecular cloud,
causing the orange glow seen above. The
Bubble Nebula is about 10 light-years across
and part of a much larger complex of stars and shells.
The Bubble Nebula can be seen with a small telescope
towards the constellation of
Cassiopeia.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
