A Crescent Nebula Star Field
Explanation:
What caused the
Crescent Nebula?
Looking like an emerging space
cocoon, the Crescent Nebula,
visible on the right, was created by the brightest star in its center.
A leading progenitor hypothesis has the
Crescent Nebula
beginning to form about 250,000 years ago.
At that time, the massive central star had evolved to become a
Wolf-Rayet star (WR 136),
shedding its outer envelope in a strong
stellar wind, ejecting the equivalent of our
Sun's mass every 10,000 years.
This wind impacted surrounding gas left over from a
previous phase, 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.
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.
