Crescent Nebula NGC 6888
Crescent Nebula, also known as NGC 6888 (centre right).This is an emission nebula located about 5000 light-years away from Earth. The Crescent Nebula has a bright, central massive Wolf-Rayet star called WR 136, which has shed its outer envelope in a strong stellar wind. As a result, the nebula has taken on its unique shape. The central star is releasing massive amounts of gas and UV radiation, which is exciting oxygen and hydrogen and illuminating the nebula. WR136, which is also burning fuel at a high rate, should end up exploding as a supernova within the next 100,000 years. Near the Crescent Nebula (bottom right), there is a planetary nebula known as the Soap Bubble Nebula or PN + This nebula was formed when a sun-like star ejected a glowing shell of material in the final stage of its life. The Soap Bubble Nebula was discovered by amateur astronomer Dave Jurasevich in 2007. Image captured from the Dark Sky Alqueva Observatory in Portugal.
Size: 7260px × 4819px
Location:
Photo credit: © MIGUEL CLARO/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: -, 27, 105, 136, 2000s, 2020s, 2023, 21st, 6888, 192163, alqueva, astronomical, astronomy, astrophysical, astrophysics, black, bubble, caldwell, century, constellation, crescent, cygnus, dark, emisssion, +, hd, monochrome, nebula, nebulae, ngc, object, objects, observation, planetary, pn, science, sharpless, sky, soap, space, star, white, wolf-rayet, wr
