December 23, 2024

The best Hubble Space Telescope images of all time!

Prawn nebula.
The Hubble Space Telescope has recorded a stunning view of the Prawn Nebula drifting through deep space. The Prawn Nebula, officially understood as IC 4628, is an emission nebula situated 6,000 light-years from Earth, in the constellation Scorpius. Nebulas, or clouds of interstellar gas and dust, form following huge excellent surges; in turn, this interstellar material provides life to new stars. Extending over 250 light-years wide, IC 4628 is believed to be a huge stellar nursery, where new stars are forming. Scientists classify it as an emission nebula due to the fact that its gas has been energized, or ionized, by the radiation of close-by stars. That process produces electrons that re-emit the absorbed energy in the kind of infrared light, according to a declaration from NASA. Complete story: Hubble telescope catches spectacular picture of the star-forming Prawn Nebula.

(Image credit: NASA, ESA, and J. Tan (Chalmers University of Innovation); Processing; Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America)).