Posted on 03/09/2026 2:26:02 PM PDT by MtnClimber
Explanation: What's going on inside the head of this nebula? Dubbed the Exposed Cranium Nebula for its similarity to the human brain, what created the nebula remains a mystery. One thought is that the Cranium Nebula, also known as PMR 1, is a planetary nebula surrounding a white dwarf star. In this mode, the outer atmosphere was expelled when the original Sun-like star ran out of central nuclear fuel and contracted. A competing thought is that the central star is much more massive, possibly a Wolf-Rayet star, that is ejecting gas and dust via turbulent stellar winds. Adding to the intrigue is the dark vertical central division and the thin outer gaseous shell. The featured image was taken by the Webb Space Telescope in mid- infrared light, while a second image, included as a rollover, is in near-infrared. Future observations may reveal if this brainy system will quietly just fade from view or, many years from now, suddenly erupt in a powerful supernova.
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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.
Exposed Cranium Nebula
Perfect name for it.
🪐 🌟 🌌 🍔
Funny how ‘Nature’ continually replicates herself. It’s as if it was all ‘designed’ for our pleasure! ;)
- Caution: Cognitive emissions may ionize nearby dust clouds. Viewer discretion advised.
- When your internal monologue develops its own stellar wind and begins eroding the furniture.
- WARNING: Neural luminosity exceeds safe operating thresholds. Maximum shields and warp 10.
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