For the Astronomical Image of the Day, NASA has selected a photo of a nebula resembling a monster about to engulf a small galaxy
A sandworm-like “monster” from Arrakis, in the science fiction saga Dunelooks set to devour a galaxy in the day’s astronomical photo highlighted by NASA. Sure, it’s nothing like that, but a nebula far away from your “meal”.
- The southern ring nebula was “sculpted” by 5 stars, reveals James Webb
- New photos by James Webb reveal the beauty of the Tarantula Nebula
This gas cloud formation is known as a comet globule CG4, but don’t let the name fool you: the object is far from a comet. Astronomers decided to nickname clouds like this with the word “comet” precisely because of the appearance of heads with elongated tails.
The curious thing about CG4 is that the globule has simply lost its “head”. It is not yet known what caused the “decapitation” of this little cosmic monster, but perhaps it is visually much more interesting in its current form.
Typically, the globules are the sites of star formation, but we can’t see many of the stars born there because of the light-blocking layers of dust. The galaxy to the left of the globe is much larger; it only looks small next to CG4 due to an overlay.
Located about 1,300 light-years from Earth in the constellation Popa, CG4 is 1.5 light-years in diameter and its globule tail is eight light-years across. It is not yet known exactly why cometary globules have this shape.
Source: APOD
Trending on Canaltech:
- A comet seen 50,000 years ago approaches Earth, perhaps for the last time
- The pale blue eye | Meet Netflix’s Mystery Movie Starring Christian Bale
- The 10 best movies on Netflix in 2022
- Are ‘Galaxy Forever’ Shows Worth It?
- Do you know the difference between the mosquito and the dengue mosquito?
- Spotify launches music ‘time capsule’ which can only be opened in 2024
+The best content in your email for free. Choose your favorite Terra newsletter. Click here!
Source: Terra
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
