APOD: 2026 June 17 Б Longmore 8: The Hamster Wheel Nebula
Explanation:
How did a hamster wheel get into space? The Hamster Wheel Nebula (Longmore 8) was
discovered
by Andrew Longmore
in 1976 as a part of a larger survey of the southern sky. This survey employed several
improvements in
photographic
technology,
including the use of
highly
sensitive film,
to capture deeper and fainter objects on
plates
that were examined
by eye
and catalogued.
The featured image,
taken at Observatorio
El Sauce
in Chile, depicts an intricate wheel structure of glowing hydrogen that was thrown
out into space by a
dying star
and ionized
by the leftover
white dwarf.
This structure was barely visible on the original plate, emphasizing the power of
modern
telescopes and cameras. Two opposing clumps of red hydrogen gas encased in
the blue
veil of ionized oxygen
hint at the presence of a
companion
to the bright white dwarf at the wheelБs center!
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.
