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Credit & Copyright: Dieter Willasch
(Astro-Cabinet)
Explanation:
Normally faint and elusive, the Jellyfish Nebula is caught in
this
alluring telescopic view.
Drifting near bright star
Eta
Geminorum, at the foot of a
celestial
twin, the Jellyfish Nebula is seen
dangling tentacles from the bright arcing ridge of emission
left of center.
In fact, the cosmic jellyfish is part of bubble-shaped
supernova remnant IC 443, the expanding
debris cloud from a
massive
star that exploded.
Light from the explosion first reached planet Earth over 30,000 years
ago.
Like its cousin in astrophysical waters the
Crab Nebula
supernova remnant, IC 443 is known to harbor
a neutron star, the remnant of the collapsed stellar core.
The Jellyfish Nebula is about 5,000 light-years away.
At that distance, this image would be about 100 light-years
across.
Best of APOD 2012:
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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 - supernova remnant
Publications with words: emission nebula - supernova remnant
See also:
- APOD: 2025 January 8 Á Supernova Remnants Big and Small
- APOD: 2024 December 17 Á Near to the Heart Nebula
- The Elephant s Trunk in Cepheus
- Phantoms in Cassiopeia
- APOD: 2024 September 18 Á The Mermaid Nebula Supernova Remnant
- APOD: 2024 August 28 Á Tulip Nebula and Black Hole Cygnus X 1
- A Sagittarius Triplet