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Credit & Copyright: Christine and David Smith,
Steve Mandel,
Adam Block
(KPNO
Visitor Program),
NOAO,
AURA,
NSF
Explanation:
(xxxedit and linkxxx)
NGC 2359 is a striking emission nebula
with an impressive
popular name - Thor's Helmet.
Sure, its suggestive winged appearance might lead some to refer
to it as the "duck nebula", but if you were a nebula which name
would you choose?
By any name NGC 2359 is a bubble-like nebula some 30 light-years
across, blown by energetic winds from an extremely
hot star seen near
the center and classified as a Wolf-Rayet star.
Wolf-Rayet stars
are rare massive blue giants which develop
stellar winds with speeds of millions of kilometers per hour.
Interactions with
a nearby large molecular cloud are thought
to have contributed to this nebula's more complex shape and
curved bow-shock structures.
NGC 2359
is about 15,000
light-years distant toward
the constellation
Canis Major.
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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: Wolf-Rayet star - Thor's Helmet - duck nebula
Publications with words: Wolf-Rayet star - Thor's Helmet - duck nebula
See also: