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Credit & Copyright: Josö Jimönez (Astromet)
Explanation:
Stars are forming in the Soul of the Queen of
Aethopia.
More specifically, a large star forming region called the
Soul Nebula
can be found in the direction of the
constellation Cassiopeia, whom Greek mythology credits as the
vain wife
of a King who long ago ruled
lands
surrounding the
upper Nile river.
Also known as Westerhout 5 (W5),
the Soul Nebula houses several
open clusters of stars, ridges and
pillars darkened by cosmic
dust,
and huge evacuated bubbles formed by the winds of young massive
stars.
Located about 6,500 light years away, the
Soul Nebula spans about 100
light years
and is usually
imaged next to its celestial
neighbor the
Heart Nebula (IC 1805).
The
featured image
is a composite of exposures made in different colors:
red as emitted by
hydrogen gas, yellow as emitted by
sulfur,
and blue as emitted by
oxygen.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: emission nebula
Publications with words: emission nebula
See also: