NGC 7380: 巫师星云
NGC 7380: The Wizard Nebula
Image Credit & Copyright: Ioan Popa
Explanation: What powers are being wielded in the Wizard Nebula? Gravitation strong enough to form stars, and stellar winds and radiations powerful enough to create and dissolve towers of gas. Located only 8,000 light years away, the Wizard nebula, featured here, surrounds developing open star cluster NGC 7380. Visually, the interplay of stars, gas, and dust has created a shape that appears to some like a fictional medieval sorcerer. The active star forming region spans 100 about light years, making it appear larger than the angular extent of the Moon. The Wizard Nebula can be located with a small telescope toward the constellation of the King of Aethiopia (Cepheus). Although the nebula may last only a few million years, some of the stars being formed may outlive our Sun.
Tomorrow’s picture: in wolf’s cave
NGC 7380: 巫师星云
图像提供与版权: Ioan Popa
说明: 巫师星云具有什么能力呢？它的重力强到可以形成恒星，而它的恒星风与高能辐射也足以创造和消蚀云气柱。这幅主题图像所呈现的巫师星云，环拱在形成中的疏散星团NGC 7380之周围，距离我们约有8000光年远。在视觉上，恒星、云气和尘埃之间的交互作用，造就了它形似虚构的中古世纪巫师之外观。这个活跃、宽约100光年的恒星形成区，视张角大于月亮。用小望远镜指向因埃塞俄比亚国王而得名的仙王座方向，就能找到巫师星云。虽然星云存在的期间可能只有短短的数百万年，然而，其中所形成的部分恒星，可能会比我们太阳还要长寿。
明日的图片: in wolf’s cave
