APOD: Bright Planetary Nebula NGC 7027... (2013 Aug 26)

[werdna]

flying cat nebula!

[shirleypeters]

It is a beautiful, exciting object.
It was 'born' at the beginning of the Renaissance period in Europe.

But on the other side of the world, and about that time, a famous Chinese admiral was crossing the oceans and 'discovering' many new worlds. His name was Zheng He. His great achievements have not been recognised enough... I would like to see the nebula named in his honour.

a.org/wiki/Zheng_He


The 'Zheng He" Nebula.

[AdrianChallinor]

Looks like a pillow to me.

I agree, It should be "the Pillow Case Nebula".

[chthonic]

The pillow nebula.

[Yzala]

Cushion Nebula
or Pillow Nebula
That sounds like a nice name

[E.A.Blair]

How about "The After Dinner Mint Nebula"?

[Jannik Jauch]

Cerebrum Nebula

[Andrew J. Coutinho]

Compass Rose Nebula

[ampospisil]

It looks like a jellyfish Aurelia aurita

[Thilen]

I would call it The Pillow or The Eiderdown !

[gmaiarodrigo]

giant stingray

[macfoto1]

I vote for Pillowcase Nebula.

[subbu107]

Yes, Pillowcase nebula was what struck me straightaway !

[Northerner04]

It looks like a kernel of popcorn, so I suggest Popcorn Nebula

[ws2]

Here is one more vote for "Pillow".

[Frontis]

It looks like a starfish to me. The Starfish Nebula.

[DoctorJ]

The Space Shuttle

[BDanielMayfield]

Welcome first time posters. Isn’t astronomy fun?

I’d say it looks like a lightly toasted marshmallow or a popped popcorn.

But don’t fail to notice the details, both in the picture and in the description. We can see a central star beginning to shine trough the dust. It is a newly formed white dwarf I think. I wonder, how brightly did it shine before it coughed up this nebula about 600 years ago? Was it a red giant, seen and maybe even charted by early astronomers?

Around the edges of the “pillow” we can see starfish like pointy arms and also a circular ring of gas. The white cloud is likely growing fast, so the slower moving ring formed by an earlier, far less intense expulsion of gas is likely to be covered up soon. “Soon” is relative, this nebula is 3,000 light years away and so even though the main cloud is growing fast it will take some time to notice changes here on Earth.

Bruce

[guestfasaer]

It looks like Lebron's pregame chalk clap.

[Guest]

Name it "Pillow" - doesn't it look just like a pillow!

[jarrar]

Pop corn Nebula

[tensor74]

Casper nebula or airplane nebula

[JPratt]

It's 'Pass-the -Parcel' nebula, for sure!

[lionberger]

Obviously it is Rocky the Flying Squirrel!

[akanippy]

fleece nebula