Rainbow image of a dusty star
Resembling a rippling pool illuminated by underwater lights, the Egg Nebula offers astronomers a special look at the normally invisible dust shells swaddling an aging star. These dust layers, extending over one-tenth of a light-year from the star, have an onionskin structure that forms concentric rings around the star. A thicker dust belt, running almost vertically through the image, blocks off light from the central star. Twin beams of light radiate from the hidden star and illuminate the pitch-black dust, like a shining flashlight in a smoky room.
The Egg Nebula is located 3, 000 light-years away in the constellation Cygnus. This image was taken with Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys in September and October 2002.
Credit:About the Image
About the Object
Name: | Egg Nebula, V1610 Cyg |
Type: | Milky Way : Nebula : Type : Planetary |
Distance: | 1400 light years |
Constellation: | Cygnus |
Category: | Nebulae |
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Coordinates
Position (RA): | 21 2 18.68 |
Position (Dec): | 36° 41' 38.68" |
Field of view: | 1.43 x 0.85 arcminutes |
Orientation: | North is 98.0° right of vertical |
Colours & filters
Band | Wavelength | Telescope |
---|---|---|
Optical POL120V |
Hubble Space Telescope
ACS | |
Optical POL60V |
Hubble Space Telescope
ACS | |
Optical POL0V |
Hubble Space Telescope
ACS | |
Optical V | 606 nm |
Hubble Space Telescope
ACS |