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Credit & Copyright: J-P Metsävainio
(Astro Anarchy)
Explanation:
NGC 6888, also known as the Crescent Nebula, is a
cosmic bubble about 25 light-years across, blown by
winds from its central, bright, massive star.
This
colorful portrait of the nebula
uses narrow band image data combined in the
Hubble palatte.
It shows emission from sulfur, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms in
the wind-blown nebula in red, green and blue hues.
NGC 6888's central star is classified as a
Wolf-Rayet star (WR 136).
The star is shedding its outer envelope in a strong
stellar
wind, ejecting the equivalent of the Sun's mass every 10,000 years.
The nebula's complex structures are likely the result of this
strong wind interacting with material ejected in an earlier phase.
Burning fuel at a prodigious rate and
near the
end of its stellar life
this star should ultimately go out with a bang in a
spectacular supernova explosion.
Found in the nebula rich
constellation Cygnus,
NGC 6888
is about 5,000 light-years away.
New APOD Mirror:
In Farsi from Iran
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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: Crescent Nebula - Wolf-Rayet star - stellar wind
Publications with words: Crescent Nebula - Wolf-Rayet star - stellar wind
See also: