Posted on 08/26/2026 12:07:07 PM PDT by MtnClimber
Explanation: Are we looking at the future of our Sun? The James Webb Space Telescope captured today’s composite image of the Lion’s Head Nebula (NGC 2392) with its NIRCam and MIRI instruments. The Lion’s Head Nebula is the remnant of a Sun-like star. This star was unable to sustain the nuclear fusion in its core needed to remain stable. It began to shed layers of gas and dust into space, forming this planetary nebula. A hot stellar core, called a white dwarf, is left behind within the lion’s nose. Do not boop this nose! Intense radiation from the white dwarf is ionizing the gas as it expands, creating the irregular bubble that makes up the lion’s face. Dust clumps that have survived the white dwarf’s radiation and a cloud of ionized gas make up the lion’s mane. This new and more detailed view of the nebula will help humanity learn more about how the gas and dust interact with each other and the white dwarf radiation.
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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.
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Very important, don't boop the lion on the nose.
Pinging the APOD list (forgot the ping list on the last post)
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Very important, don’t boop the lion on the nose.
Wow.
I wonder what it looks like from the other side?
OK ... I kinda see it ... but if I were naming it, it would be the “Lamprey’s Mouth Nebula” ...
According to Wiki (hahahaha) it's about 6500 light years away ... so you'll have to go on wondering. Or develop a warp-drive.
Now I have to go through all of my astronomy books and star charts and cross out “Eskimo” and God only knows how many MORE names they’re going to find offensive….
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The International Astronomical Union can KMA….
According to Wiki (hahahaha) it’s about 6500 light years away ... so you’ll have to go on wondering. Or develop a warp-drive.
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Even at Warp 9 it would take over 4 years.
Incredible symmetry.
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