Copyright:European Southern Observatory
原文:
Braided, serpentine filaments of glowing gas suggest this nebula’s popular name, The Medusa Nebula. Also known as Abell 21, this Medusa is an old planetary nebula some 1,500 light-years away along the southern border of the constellation Gemini. Like its mythological namesake, the nebula is associated with a dramatic transformation. The planetary nebula phase represents a final stage in the evolution of low mass stars like the sun, as they transform themselves from red giants to hot white dwarf stars and in the process shrug off their outer layers. Ultraviolet radiation from the hot star powers the nebular glow. An unrelated, bright, foreground star is near center in this close-up, telescopic view, while the Medusa’s transforming central star is actually the dimmer star below center and toward the right-hand part of the frame. The Medusa Nebula is estimated to be over 4 light-years across.
中文翻譯:
🔭👽 被稱為「美杜莎星雲」的這個老行星星雲，正式名稱為 Abell 21，距離我們約 1,500 光年，位於雙子座的南部邊界。這些編織且有如蛇般的發光氣體絲線，令人想起神話中的美杜莎，象徵著劇烈的變化。行星星雲階段是低質量恆星（如我們的太陽）演化的最後階段，這些星星從紅巨星轉變為炙熱的白矮星，並在這個過程中拋下它們的外層。來自中央恆星的紫外線輻射驅動著星雲的光芒。這幅近距離的望遠鏡圖像中，中央位置有一顆不相關的亮星，而美杜莎的中心恆星則是畫面的右下方，較暗的星星。美杜莎星雲的直徑估計超過 4 光年。
#美杜莎星雲 #Abell21 #行星星雲 #雙子座 #星際美景 #宇宙探索 #天文學 #望遠鏡觀測 #恆星演化 #太空奧秘 🌌✨
來源:NASA每日圖片
