Hubble image archive
The Bubble Nebula, NGC 7635 (WFPC)
This NASA Hubble Space Telescope image reveals an expanding shell of glowing gas surrounding a hot, massive star in our Milky Way Galaxy. This shell is being shaped by strong stellar winds of material and radiation produced by the bright star at the left, which is 10 to 20 times...
- Date
- Jan 1, 1998
- Mission
- Hubble Space Telescope
- Archive ID
- hubblesite-images-1998-28-697-image
This NASA Hubble Space Telescope image reveals an expanding shell of glowing gas surrounding a hot, massive star in our Milky Way Galaxy. This shell is being shaped by strong stellar winds of material and radiation produced by the bright star at the left, which is 10 to 20 times more massive than our Sun. These fierce winds are sculpting the surrounding material - composed of gas and dust - into the curve-shaped bubble. Astronomers have dubbed it the Bubble Nebula (NGC 7635). The nebula is 10 light-years across, more than twice the distance from Earth to the nearest star. Only part of the bubble is visible in this image. The glowing gas in the lower right-hand corner is a dense region of material that is getting blasted by radiation from the Bubble Nebula's massive star. The radiation is eating into the gas, creating finger-like features. This interaction also heats up the gas, causing it to glow.
Credits
Image
AURA, STScI, NASA, Hubble Heritage Project (STScI, AURA)
Image Details
| About The Object | |
|---|---|
| Object Name | Bubble Nebula, NGC 7635, Sharpless 162 |
| Object Description | Emission Nebula |
| R.A. Position | 23h 20m 48.3s |
| Dec. Position | 61° 12' 6.0" |
| Constellation | Cassiopeia |
| Distance | 11,300 light-years (3,500 parsecs) |
| Dimensions | The bubble is roughly 10 light-years (3 parsecs) across. The image is approximately 2.6 arcminutes on the vertical. |
| About The Data | |
| Data Description | Principal Astronomers: J. Hester, P. Scowen, and B. Moore (Arizona State University) |
| Instrument | HST>WFPC |
| Exposure Dates | September 6, 1992, Exposure Time: 5 minutes |
| Filters | F502N (OIII), F656N (Halpha), and F658N (NII) |
| About The Image | |
| Color Info | Blue: F502N (OIII) Green: F656N (Halpha) Red: F658N (NII) |
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Source
Image and source material are credited to the official mission archive linked below.
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