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Saturday, 4 February 2012


ESO/VISTA/J. Emerson. Acknowledgment: Cambridge Astronomical Survey Unit
ESO/VISTA/J. Emerson. Acknowledgment: Cambridge Astronomical Survey Unit


Huge telescope captures new image of Helix Nebula

A huge telescope in Chile has captured this stunning new image of the Helix Nebula, which sits inside the Aquarius constellation, around 700 light years away from Earth.

The European Southern Observatory’s VISTA telescope took the picture using infrared light, to reveal detail that can’t be seen in normal visible light.

The nebula is a huge structure, around two light years across. It is a complex mix of dust and gas, which glows in the ultraviolet light coming from the hot star at its centre.

The strands that run out from the middle of the nebula are mostly made up of hydrogen molecules, which clump together in what are called cometary knots.

Although they got their name because they resemble comets with tails, each one is about the size of our solar system!

The Helix Nebula is what astronomers call a planetary nebula. They are formed when a large dying star slowly sheds its outer layers of gas. The star then starts to become a white dwarf, which can be seen as the tiny blue dot at the centre of this picture.





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2 Comments


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  • bill1038 (Age 9) wrote on Sunday, 5 February 2012 @ 18:05

    I love astronomy and I think this a great way to get children involved.

  • EPICAN (Age 9) wrote on Monday, 6 February 2012 @ 19:07

    OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!