Credit & Copyright: Rolf Geissinger
Explanation:
What powers are being wielded in the Wizard Nebula?
Gravitation strong enough to form stars, and
stellar winds
and radiations powerful enough to create and dissolve
towers of gas.
Located only 8,000 light years away, the Wizard nebula,
pictured above, surrounds developing open star cluster NGC 7380.
Visually, the interplay of stars, gas, and dust has created a shape that appears
to some like a fictional
medieval sorcerer.
The active star forming region
spans 100 about light years, making it appear larger than the angular extent of the
Moon.
The Wizard Nebula can be
can be located with a small telescope toward the constellation
of the King of Aethiopia
(Cepheus)
Although the
nebula may last only
a few million years, some of the stars being formed may outlive our Sun.
Imagine:
What shape(s) do you see in the nebula?
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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: nebula - star formation - open cluster
Publications with words: nebula - star formation - open cluster
See also:
- NGC 1893 and the Tadpoles of IC 410
- APOD: 2024 January 23 Á Deep Nebulas: From Seagull to California
- Star Factory Messier 17
- APOD: 2023 August 28 Á Star Formation in the Pacman Nebula
- APOD: 2023 July 10 Á Stars, Dust and Nebula in NGC 6559
- The Double Cluster in Perseus
- APOD: 2023 June 14 Á The Shark Nebula