APOD: A Halo for NGC 6164 (2012 Oct 27)

[APOD Robot]

A Halo for NGC 6164

Explanation: Beautiful emission nebula NGC 6164 was created by a rare, hot, luminous O-type star, some 40 times as massive as the Sun. Seen at the center of the cosmic cloud, the star is a mere 3 to 4 million years old. In another three to four million years the massive star will end its life in a supernova explosion. Spanning around 4 light-years, the nebula itself has a bipolar symmetry. That makes it similar in appearance to more familiar planetary nebulae - the gaseous shrouds surrounding dying sun-like stars. Also like many planetary nebulae, NGC 6164 has been found to have an extensive, faint halo, revealed in this deep telescopic image of the region. Expanding into the surrounding interstellar medium, the material in the halo is likely from an earlier active phase of the O star. The gorgeous skyscape is a composite of narrow-band image data highlighting the glowing gas, and broad-band data of the surrounding starfield. NGC 6164 is 4,200 light-years away in the southern constellation of Norma.

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[Boomer12k]

Neat looking...

Allot of those strands of stars....look similar to DNA strands....as they appear to swirl around each other.

:---[===] *

[owlice]

Just a reminder that NASA's APOD site will be dark for ~ 24 hours, starting this afternoon (EDT). A list of mirrors is here: http://www.star.ucl.ac.uk/~apod/apod/li ... _apod.html

[BDanielMayfield]

Does anyone else see the face-like appearance of the light blue nebulosity to the left of the bright nebula? I see a prominent nose, a puffy cheek, a pink hued eye socket, an ear and a trailing mane of hair, making it look like someone holding their breath against an underwater current.

Bruce

[moonstruck]

Does anyone else see the face-like appearance of the light blue nebulosity to the left of the bright nebula? I see a prominent nose, a puffy cheek, a pink hued eye socket, an ear and a trailing mane of hair, making it look like someone holding their breath against an underwater current.

Bruce

No.

[Ann]

Does anyone else see the face-like appearance of the light blue nebulosity to the left of the bright nebula? I see a prominent nose, a puffy cheek, a pink hued eye socket, an ear and a trailing mane of hair, making it look like someone holding their breath against an underwater current.

Bruce

I can see it.

Ann