NGC6888 Widefield III
The Crescent Nebula (NGC6888) lies in the constellation Cygnus the Swan. This “cosmic bubble” in space owes its striking appearance to a central Wolf-Rayet star that pushes the hydrogen and oxygen atoms outward. As the high-velocity wind of WR136 hits a slower-moving stellar wind that the star previously produced when it became a red giant, the collision produces a shock front and the shell of gas we see: NGC 6888. The interaction is so energetic, in fact, that it also produces X-rays. The Crescent lies some 5,000 light-years away and measures about 25 light-years across.
NGC6888 Widefield III
The Crescent Nebula (NGC6888) lies in the constellation Cygnus the Swan. This “cosmic bubble” in space owes its striking appearance to a central Wolf-Rayet star that pushes the hydrogen and oxygen atoms outward. As the high-velocity wind of WR136 hits a slower-moving stellar wind that the star previously produced when it became a red giant, the collision produces a shock front and the shell of gas we see: NGC 6888. The interaction is so energetic, in fact, that it also produces X-rays. The Crescent lies some 5,000 light-years away and measures about 25 light-years across.