Celestial hemisphere:  Northern  ·  Constellation: Cepheus (Cep)  ·  Contains:  Iris Nebula  ·  LBN 487  ·  LDN 1172  ·  LDN 1173  ·  LDN 1174  ·  NGC 7023  ·  VdB139
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NGC 7023, Iris Nebula (2023), a blue flower in the dust, Walter Leonhard Schramböck
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NGC 7023, Iris Nebula (2023), a blue flower in the dust

Acquisition type: Electronically-Assisted Astronomy (EAA, e.g. based on a live video feed)
Getting plate-solving status, please wait...
NGC 7023, Iris Nebula (2023), a blue flower in the dust, Walter Leonhard Schramböck
Powered byPixInsight

NGC 7023, Iris Nebula (2023), a blue flower in the dust

Acquisition type: Electronically-Assisted Astronomy (EAA, e.g. based on a live video feed)

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Description

As beautiful as this flower may seem, you probably don't want to get too close to it - a strong radiating star resides within it.
NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope observed it in it's infrared spectrum and the Spitzer Science Center found polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in it's dusty surrounding, which are typically found in hot, chaotic regions of space. Many astronomers suspect that they may be among life's building blocks.
Source: https://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/news/feature07-03-spitzer-learns-about-carbons-cosmic-life

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