At the Edge of the Crescent Nebula
Explanation:
The Crescent Nebula is a rapidly expanding shell
of gas surrounding a dying star.
In
this recently released image by the
Hubble Space Telescope, a bright dynamic part of the
nebula three light-years across is shown in representative color.
The
Crescent Nebula began to form about 250,000 years ago as central
Wolf-Rayet star WR 136 began to
shed its outer envelope in a strong
stellar wind, expelling the equivalent of our
Sun's mass every 10,000 years.
This
wind has been impacting surrounding
interstellar gas,
compacting it into a series of complex shells, and lighting it up.
The
Crescent Nebula,
also known as NGC 6888, lies about 4,700
light-years away in the
constellation of
Cygnus and can only be seen through a telescope.
Star WR 136 will probably undergo a
supernova explosion sometime
in the next million years.
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.
