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Credit & Copyright: Bill Snyder
(at Sierra Remote
Observatories)
Explanation:
Sharpless
115 stands just north and west of Deneb,
the alpha star of Cygnus the Swan
in planet Earth's skies.
Noted in the
1959 catalog
by astronomer Stewart Sharpless (as Sh2-115)
the faint but lovely emission nebula lies along the edge one of the
outer Milky Way's giant molecular clouds, about 7,500 light-years away.
Shining with
the light of
ionized atoms of hydrogen, sulfur, and oxygen
in this Hubble palette color composite image, the nebular glow is
powered by hot stars in star cluster Berkeley 90.
The cluster stars are likely only 100 million years old or so and
are still embedded in Sharpless 115.
But the stars' strong winds and radiation have
cleared away
much of their dusty, natal cloud.
At the emission nebula's estimated distance,
this
cosmic close-up spans just under 100 light-years.
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Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: emission nebula - star cluster
Publications with words: emission nebula - star cluster
See also: