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Credit & Copyright: Daniel Stern
Explanation:
To some, it looks like a
giant
chicken running across the sky.
To others, it looks like a gaseous nebula where
star formation takes place.
Cataloged as IC 2944, the
Running Chicken Nebula spans about 100 light years and lies about 6,000
light years
away toward the constellation of the
Centaur (Centaurus).
The featured image,
shown in
scientifically assigned colors,
was captured recently in a 16-hour exposure over three nights.
The star cluster Collinder
249 is visible
embedded in the nebula's glowing gas.
Although difficult to discern here, several dark
molecular clouds with
distinct shapes can be
found inside the nebula.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: IC 2944 - emission nebula
Publications with words: IC 2944 - emission nebula
See also:
- APOD: 2024 May 1 Á IC 1795: The Fishhead Nebula
- APOD: 2024 April 24 Á Dragons Egg Bipolar Emission Nebula
- APOD: 2024 March 13 Á The Seagull Nebula
- APOD: 2024 February 21 Á Seagull Nebula over Pinnacles Peak
- NGC 1893 and the Tadpoles of IC 410
- The Light, the Dark, and the Dusty
- APOD: 2023 December 13 Á Deep Field: The Heart Nebula