茧状星云宽视场
(原标题: Cocoon Nebula Wide Field)
2022-10-26
浏览次数: 20
星云什么时候看起来像彗星？在这片拥挤的星空中，在天鹅（天鹅座）的高飞行星座中覆盖了超过2度，眼睛被吸引到茧星云。宇宙茧是一个致密的恒星形成区，它在左边的发射和反射中点缀着一个明亮的星云，在右边是一长串星际尘埃云，使整个星云看起来有点像彗星。编号为IC 5146的星云中央明亮的头部跨度约10光年，而黑暗的尘埃尾巴跨度近100光年。两者都位于2500光年之外。明亮星云中心附近的明亮恒星，可能只有几十万年的历史，为星云发光提供能量，因为它有助于清除分子云恒星形成尘埃和气体的空洞。尾巴上长长的尘埃细丝，虽然在这张可见光图像中是黑暗的，但它们本身隐藏着形成过程中的恒星，这些恒星可以在红外波长下看到。
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When does a nebula look like a comet? In this crowded starfield, covering over two degrees within the high flying constellation of the Swan (Cygnus), the eye is drawn to the Cocoon Nebula. A compact star forming region, the cosmic Cocoon punctuates a nebula bright in emission and reflection on the left, with a long trail of interstellar dust clouds to the right, making the entire complex appear a bit like a comet. Cataloged as IC 5146, the central bright head of the nebula spans about 10 light years, while the dark dusty tail spans nearly 100 light years. Both are located about 2,500 light years away. The bright star near the bright nebula's center, likely only a few hundred thousand years old, supplies power to the nebular glow as it helps clear out a cavity in the molecular cloud's star forming dust and gas. The long dusty filaments of the tail, although dark in this visible light image, are themselves hiding stars in the process of formation, stars that can be seen at infrared wavelengths.
© Andy Ermolli