Image Credit & Copyright: Don Goldman
Explanation: Beautiful emission nebula NGC
6164 was created by a rare, hot, luminous O-type star, some 40
times as massive as the Sun. Seen at the center of the cosmic cloud, the star is
a mere 3 to 4 million years old. In another three to four million years the
massive star will end its life in a supernova
explosion. Spanning around 4 light-years, the nebula itself has a bipolar
symmetry. That makes it similar in appearance to more familiar planetary nebulae - the
gaseous shrouds surrounding dying sun-like stars.
Also like many planetary nebulae, NGC 6164 has been found to have an extensive,
faint
halo, revealed in this deep telescopic image of the region. Expanding into
the surrounding interstellar
medium, the material in the halo is likely from an earlier active phase of
the O star. The gorgeous
skyscape is a composite of narrow-band image data highlighting the glowing
gas, and broad-band data of the surrounding starfield. NGC 6164 is 4,200
light-years away in the southern constellation of Norma.
Aucun commentaire:
Enregistrer un commentaire