Image of the day 01/03/2013

NGC 2440, Steven Marx

NGC 2440

Image of the day 01/03/2013

NGC 2440, Steven Marx

NGC 2440

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Description

NGC 2440 - Raw fits data obtained from Hubble Legacy Archive.

NGC 2440 has an intriguing bow-tie shape in this stunning view from space. The nebula is composed of material cast off by a dying sun-like star as it enters its white dwarf phase of evolution. Details of remarkably complex structures are revealed within NGC 2440, including dense ridges of material swept back from the nebula's central star. Near the center of the view, the star itself is one of the hottest known, with a surface temperature of about 200,000 kelvins. About 4,000 light-years from planet Earth toward the nautical constellation Puppis, the nebula spans over a light-year and is energized by ultraviolet light from the central star.

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NGC 2440, Steven Marx