Smoky Worm
by CritterKeeper on Jan.13, 2010, under Bugs, birds and other animals
Credit: NASA & ESA
This wispy smoke-like cloud of gas flies through space in this image from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope.
The wisp of nebula is a tiny remnant of a brilliant explosion that took place 5,000 years ago in the constellation of Cygnus the Swan. A huge star, 10 to 100 times the size of our Sun, exploded in a supernova. The star material was thrown out in all directions to become what astronomers call the Cygnus loop. Also known as the Veil Nebula, the exploding star created a bubble of gas and dust in space. It continues to expand even now. By studying the motion of this gas and dust cloud, astronomers believe that the Veil Nebula is much closer than previously thought; only 1,500 light-years away. A supernova that close to Earth would be visible even during the daytime. It would have been as bright as the crescent Moon.
Explore the nebula. Does it look like anything else around us here on Earth? A worm? A smoke ring? The pattern formed by light and shadow on the bottom of a swimming pool? Many things we see in the heavens we see right here on Earth as well.
:Cygnus Loop, ESA, Hubble Space Telescope, NASA, supernova, Veil Nebula
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Welcome to Starry Critters!
Thanks for dropping by! This site combines incredible imagery from the Hubble Space Telescope, Spitzer Space Telescope and other great observatories with the imagination of children. Explore and share the patterns you see in the nebula, galaxies and star clusters.Note to Parents and Educators:
The main focus of the site are the images of space. We believe the explanations are best suited for parents, educators and upper grade students. Parents may find it helpful to view the site with their children and explore the universe together using the explanatory text as a guide. Background text is provided to let you know the real story behind the image. Links, very useful for parents and teachers, include definitions and will take you to other sites for even more detail.
Zoom in and out and pan around the images to find your own patterns in the stars. Be creative and think outside the box.Tell us your stories and let us know what you find! Feel free to join the discussion by leaving comments, and stay updated by subscribing to the RSS feed.
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