The photo highlighted by NASA this Monday (10th) shows the beautiful Leo Nebula, a cosmic cloud formed by the gaseous envelopes of two massive stars
The photo highlighted by NASA this second (10) brings with it all the splendor of the Leo Nebula. Of course, that’s just the nickname cosmic cloud cataloged as Sh2-132 and found about 10 thousand light years from Earth.
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It was made up of two large stars, each more than 20 times the mass of the Sun. They are of the Wolf-Rayet type, a group that includes massive, hot stars. short life.
The layers of ionized gas in these stars expanded, forming the nebula structure. The most interesting thing is that, in addition to emitting light, these structures are dense enough to contract and form stars.
Astronomers believe that this nebula hosted star formation processes in the past. However, there are no signs of any such recent activity there.
It may not seem like it, but this nebula is quite a bit larger than the Moon complete phase.
Emission nebulae
Sh2-132 is considered an emission nebula. As the name suggests, nebulae of this type are gaseous clouds that emit their own light in the wavelengths of visible light.
And, ultimately, how does this happen? Well, nebulae are clouds of gas and dust that can be found in the interstellar medium. Sometimes there are stars near the nebula or even within it that emit radiation intense, which ends up energizing the gases in its structure.
The energy received by the nebula is such that its hydrogen atoms lose electrons. This process is known as ionization, and causes the energized electrons to recombine with the atoms to return to a less energetic state. When this happens, they emit energy in the form of light, causing the gas in the nebula to glow.
But don’t think that this is the only process that happens in emission nebulae. Radiation and winds from the stars inside them consume the gases, opening cavities and forming large pillars. Furthermore, the process causes pressure on the gas clouds, which leads to the formation of stars.
Source: APOD
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Source: Terra
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
