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Credit & Copyright: Katelyn Beecroft
Explanation:
Normally faint and elusive, the Jellyfish Nebula is caught in
this alluring
telescopic field of view.
Floating in the interstellar sea, the nebula is
anchored right and left by two bright stars,
Mu and
Eta
Geminorum, at the foot of the
celestial
twins.
The Jellyfish Nebula itself is right of center, seen as a brighter arcing
ridge of emission with dangling tentacles.
In fact, this cosmic jellyfish is part of bubble-shaped
supernova remnant IC 443, the expanding
debris cloud from a
massive star that
exploded.
Light from the explosion first reached planet Earth over 30,000 years
ago.
Like its cousin in
astrophysical waters the
Crab Nebula
supernova remnant, the Jellyfish Nebula is
known
to harbor a neutron star, the
ultradense remnant of
the collapsed stellar core.
An emission nebula cataloged as
Sharpless
249 fills the field at the upper left.
The Jellyfish Nebula is about 5,000 light-years away.
At that distance, this image would be about 300 light-years across.
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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: emission nebula - supernova remnant
Publications with words: emission nebula - supernova remnant
See also:
- Supernova Remnant Cassiopeia A
- APOD: 2026 January 19 Á CTB 1: The Medulla Nebula
- APOD: 2026 January 7 Á Simeis 147: The Spaghetti Nebula Supernova Remnant
- APOD: 2025 December 17 Á W5: The Soul Nebula
- APOD: 2025 December 9 Á The Heart of the Soul Nebula
- APOD: 2025 October 1 Á NGC 6960: The Witchs Broom Nebula
- APOD: 2025 September 19 Á The NGC 6914 Complex