Copyright:Massimo Di Fusco
中文翻譯:
在遙遠的宇宙中，有一個神秘的星雲，它的形狀像一隻可愛的魷魚，擁有美麗的藍色光芒，這道光來自特別的氧氣原子。這個叫做Squid Nebula的星雲是在2011年由一位名叫Nicolas Outters的法國天文攝影師發現的。雖然它周圍被紅色的氫氣雲環繞著，但我們仍然不知道這隻魷魚星雲的確切距離和性質。不過，有些科學家認為，Squid Nebula的距離大約是2300光年，並且它是一個由三顆熱熱的恆星所推動的物質流，這三顆恆星的名字叫做HR8119，它們位於星雲的中心。如果這是真的，那麼這個通體發光的魷魚星雲將達到50光年這麼大的大小！
原文:
Difficult to capture, this mysterious, squid-shaped interstellar cloud spans nearly three full moons in planet Earth’s sky. Discovered in 2011 by French astro-imager Nicolas Outters, the Squid Nebula’s bipolar shape is distinguished here by the telltale blue emission from doubly ionized oxygen atoms. Though apparently surrounded by the reddish hydrogen emission region Sh2-129, the true distance and nature of the Squid Nebula have been difficult to determine. Still, one investigation suggests Ou4 really does lie within Sh2-129 some 2,300 light-years away. Consistent with that scenario, the cosmic squid would represent a spectacular outflow of material driven by a triple system of hot, massive stars, cataloged as HR8119, seen near the center of the nebula. If so, this truly giant squid nebula would physically be over 50 light-years across.
來源:NASA每日圖片
