The Soap Bubble Nebula
Explanation:
Adrift in the
rich star fields
of the constellation Cygnus, this
lovely, symmetric nebula was only recognized a few years ago and
does not yet appear in some astronomical catalogs.
In fact, amateur astronomer
Dave Jurasevich identified
it as a nebula on 2008 July 6 in
his
images of the complex
Cygnus region that included the
Crescent Nebula (NGC 6888).
He subsequently notified the
International Astronomical Union.
Only eleven days later the same object was independently identified by
Mel Helm at
Sierra Remote
Observatories,
imaged by Keith Quattrocchi and Helm, and also submitted
to the IAU
as a potentially
unknown nebula.
The nebula, appearing on the left of the
featured image,
is now known as the
Soap Bubble Nebula.
What is the
newly
recognized nebula?
Most probably it is a
planetary nebula, a final phase in the
life of a sun-like star.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
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rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
