|
Credit & Copyright: Greg Bass
Explanation:
NGC 6888, also known as the Crescent Nebula, is a
about 25 light-years across, a cosmic bubble
blown
by winds
from its central, massive star.
This deep telescopic image
includes narrowband image data,
to isolate light from hydrogen and oxygen atoms.
The oxygen atoms produce the blue-green hue that seems to enshroud
the nebula's detailed folds and filaments.
Visible within the nebula, NGC 6888's central star is classified as a
Wolf-Rayet
star (WR 136).
The star is shedding its outer envelope in a strong
stellar wind,
ejecting the equivalent of the Sun's mass every 10,000 years.
In fact, the Crescent Nebula's complex structures are likely the result of this
strong wind interacting with material ejected in an earlier phase.
Burning fuel at a prodigious rate and
near the
end
of its stellar life, this star should ultimately
go out with a bang in a spectacular
supernova
explosion.
Found in the nebula rich constellation Cygnus,
NGC 6888
is
about 5,000 light-years away.
|
January February March April May June July August September October November |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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: NGC 6888 - Crescent Nebula
Publications with words: NGC 6888 - Crescent Nebula
See also: