The Pistol Star, also known as V4647 Sagittarii, is a blue hypergiant star located about 25,000 light years from Earth in the constellation Sagittarius. It is a candidate luminous blue variable (cLBV) and one of the most luminous stars known, with a luminosity 1,600,000 times that of the Sun.
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The Heart Nebula (IC 1805) is an emission nebula located at an approximate distance of 7,500 light years from Earth, in the constellation Cassiopeia. It is also known as Sharpless 2-190 (Sh2-190) or the Running Dog Nebula because, when seen through a telescope, it looks a bit like a running dog. The nebula has an apparent magnitude of 18.3 and an absolute magnitude of 6.5. It is 150 arcminutes in size and known for its intensely red glowing gas and dark dust lanes forming a shape that resembles a heart symbol.
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The Soul Nebula (Westerhout 5) is an emission nebula located in the constellation Cassiopeia. It forms a famous pair known as the Heart and Soul with the neighbouring Heart Nebula (IC 1805). The Soul Nebula is sometimes also known as the Embryo Nebula or IC 1848, which is a designation used for the open star cluster embedded within the nebula.
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The Fox Fur Nebula is an H II region located in Monoceros constellation. It lies at an approximate distance of 2,700 light years from Earth. The nebula is part of the NGC 2264 region, which also includes the Christmas Tree Cluster and the Cone Nebula. It was named the Fox Fur because of its appearance. The texture and colour of the nebula resemble the head of a red fox stole.
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The Prawn Nebula, also known as IC 4628 and Gum 56, is an emission nebula located in the constellation Scorpius. It has an apparent magnitude of 7.31 and lies at a distance of 6,000 light years from Earth. Located to the south of Antares, the nebula is about 250 light years in diameter, corresponding to an apparent size of 1.5 degrees, or 3-4 times the size of the full Moon.
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Thor’s Helmet is an emission nebula located in the southern constellation Canis Major. Its designation in the New General Catalogue is NGC 2359. The nebula is… Read More »Thor’s Helmet – NGC 2359
The Cat’s Paw Nebula, also known as the Bear Claw Nebula, is an emission nebula in Scorpius. The nebula is about 50 light years across and… Read More »Cat’s Paw Nebula