.jpg "Eskimo Nebula") |
| Image courtesy N. Ruiz et al, IAA-CSIC/CXC/STScI/NASA |
Discovered in 1787 by astronomer William Herschel, The Eskimo Nebula, also known as the Clownface Nebula, is a double-shell planetary nebula. The nebula is located more than 2,870 light-years in the constellation of Gemini.
The Eskimo Nebula resembles a person's head surrounded by a parka hood. It is surrounded by gas that composed the outer layers of a Sun-like star. The colorful "parka" or outer shell of gas and dust is expanding at speeds of 31,000 miles (50,000 kilometres an hour, and is lit up by the radiation blasting out from the remains of a dying red giant at the center of the nebula.
The part of the gas cloud glowing at a million degrees near the center appears pink to Chandra's x-ray eye, while Hubble's vision highlights intricate streamers of gas in the outer shell in red, green, and blue.
Source National Geographic, Nasa.gov, Wikipedia
