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The enigmatic Bubble Nebula is true to its name. Were it not for a peculiar type of very hot star situated within it, this would other wise be a fairly run-of-the-mill emission nebula. But the star, known as a Wolf-Rayet star, issues forth an unusually powerful stellar wind. This stream of particles slams into the gas and dust of the nebula, literally blowing a vast bubble in space. The physical size is mind-boggling: the nebula is roughly 7,100 light years away, and the bubble itself is about 6.2 light years across, a bit over 36 trillion miles.
Image and text copyright © Russell Croman. All rights reserved. |
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