Celestial hemisphere:  Southern  ·  Constellation: Sagittarius (Sgr)  ·  Contains:  NGC 6818
NGC 6818 - Little Gem Nebula, starlord
NGC 6818 - Little Gem Nebula
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NGC 6818 - Little Gem Nebula

NGC 6818 - Little Gem Nebula, starlord
NGC 6818 - Little Gem Nebula
Powered byPixInsight

NGC 6818 - Little Gem Nebula

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Description

Description

The Little Gem Nebula is a planetary nebula in the constellation of Sagittarius, about 6,000 light years away, It formed around 3,500 years ago.

The nebula material is still close enough to be ionized by radiation from the central star (15th magnitude, undetectable in the image). This makes it glow brightly.

The layers of nebula material (central bubble with more diffuse outer cloud) formed from uneven ejection of mass. The knotted, filament-like inner region of the nebula is probably the result of a stellar wind from the central star. As the wind pushes through the slower-moving cloud, it creates brighter spots in the bubble’s outer layers.

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NGC 6818 - Little Gem Nebula, starlord