Astronomy Picture of the Day -- NGC 6334: The Cat's Paw Nebula

NASA ^ | June 18, 2014 | (see photo credit)

[SunkenCiv]

Explanation: Nebulas are perhaps as famous for being identified with familiar shapes as perhaps cats are for getting into trouble. Still, no known cat could have created the vast Cat's Paw Nebula visible in Scorpius. At 5,500 light years distant, Cat's Paw is an emission nebula with a red color that originates from an abundance of ionized hydrogen atoms. Alternatively known as the Bear Claw Nebula or NGC 6334, stars nearly ten times the mass of our Sun have been born there in only the past few million years. Pictured above is a deep field image of the Cat's Paw nebula.

[SunkenCiv]

[Credit & Copyright: Roberto Colombari and SONEAR Obs.; Color data: Robert Gendler & Ryan Hannahoe]

[SunkenCiv]

The Big One

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[MaxMax]

I see a Horse (head, black ear) galloping at 11-o'clock from the center of the paw
with it's front hoofs just at 7-o'clock

Also at 1-o'clock from the blue center I see a Viking Cat with shades on it's head.

[lee martell]

I see Michelle O. in The Sky With Lobsters!
Picture yourself on a boat in a river.

[HiTech RedNeck]

You need cosmic claw clippers for that one.

[Rennes Templar]

I see that and at 10:00 from the blue center I see Miss Piggy.

[dr_lew]

Here's an overlay of the APOD, scaled and rotated about 90 degrees counterclockwise, onto a STARRY NIGHT background ( which does not depict the Nebula's appearance ) and marked with my "moonsize" FOV overlay.

[Gefn]

Wow.speechless.

Good morning Ceiling Cat. Now I know what one of your mighty paws looks like.

[Slyfox]

[Slings and Arrows]

It's trying to nom the Crab Nebula.

[garjog]

[Jet Jaguar]

#3 Awesome!

[SunkenCiv]

I have a feline we’re being watched.