Spider nebula (IC 417), optical image. The spider nebula is an emission nebula, where the hydrogen it contains is ionised by radiation from nearby hot

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Spider nebula (IC 417), optical image. The spider nebula is an emission nebula, where the hydrogen it contains is ionised by radiation from nearby hot young stars, causing it to glow red. The open star cluster OCl-436 (also known as Stock 8) is seen to the right of the nebula. The Spider nebula lies about 10,000 light years from Earth, in the constellation Auriga.

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Size: 3979px × 2672px
Photo credit: © ROBERT GENDLER/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: 8, 417, astronomical, astronomy, astrophysical, astrophysics, auriga, birth, cloud, clouds, cluster, dust, emission, evolution, formation, gas, hydrogen, ic, nebula, nebulae, ocl-436, open, optical, radiation, space, spider, star, starbirth, stars, stellar, stock, telescope