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NGC 6888, the "Crescent Nebula"

This is a one frame from a very large, 18-panels, mosaic of constellation Cygnus. More info in my blog: www.astroanarchy.blogspot.fi/2013/09/a-collection-of-imag...

 

NGC 6888 in HST-palette

Ra 20h 12m 7s Dec +38° 21.3′

 

The Crescent Nebula, also known as NGC 6888, Caldwell 27 and Sharpless 105, is an emission nebula in constellation Cygnus, about 5000 light years distance.

It is formed by the fast stellar wind from the Wolf-Rayet star, WR 136 (HD 192163), colliding to an slower moving wind ejected by the same star when it became a red giant, around 400.000 years ago.

The result of the collision is a glowing shock shell around the star. Apparen size of the shell is 18' x 12' and the real size is about 25 x 16 light years.

 

Image is in HST-palette, (HST=Hubble Space Telescope)

from the emission of ionized elements, R=Sulfur, G=Hydrogen and B=Oxygen.

Star colors are mixed from the NB channels, Red=H-a, G=O-III and B= 85%O-III + 15%H-a.

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Uploaded on September 16, 2013
Taken on September 16, 2013