Enlarge / The Crescent Nebula.1Zach1
Welcome to the Daily Telescope. In a world where there is too much darkness and not enough light, and too much pseudoscience and not enough real science, we aim to bring you daily inspiration from the incredible imagery of the universe filled with stars and wonder.
Good morning. Today’s image features an emission nebula located approximately 5,000 light-years away in the Cygnus constellation.
Discovered more than 230 years ago by William Herschel, the Crescent Nebula is believed to be created by the energetic stellar wind from a Wolf-Rayet star at its core, colliding with slower-moving material expelled earlier in the star’s lifetime. Eventually, this phenomenon will lead to a spectacular supernova event.
Chances are, neither you nor I will be around to witness it.
In the meantime, let’s appreciate the beauty of the nebula as it is. This photo was captured by Ars reader 1Zach1 using an Astro-Tech AT80ED Refractor telescope. It took 11 hours of integration, consisting of 228 three-minute exposures, and was taken in rural southwestern Washington.
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone.
Source: 1Zach1
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