Posted on 04/24/2025 12:15:02 PM PDT by MtnClimber
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 common and 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 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. This gorgeous telescopic view is a composite of extensive narrow-band image data, highlighting glowing atomic hydrogen gas in red and oxygen in greenish hues, with broad-band data for the surrounding starfield. Also known as the Dragon's Egg nebula, NGC 6164 is 4,200 light-years away in the right-angled southern constellation of Norma.
For more detail go to the link and click on the image for a high definition image. You can then move the magnifying glass cursor then click to zoom in and click again to zoom out. When zoomed in you can scan by moving the side bars on the bottom and right side of the image.
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Wow.
I’m having a great deal of trouble believing that wonders like this are simply random conglomerations of random elements and events occurring in a random manner.
SAME HERE
btt!
It looks like The Michelin Man holding a can of Coca Cola.
Does this mean that blonde chick is coming back?
That face you make when a
GIGANTIC can of Dr. Pepper
hits you in the back of the head .
In Space, no one can hear you scream.
Looks like another bright (hot?) star just outside the “nebula” at about 4 o’clock.
Beautiful.
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