2024年08月19日:IC 5146：茧状星云-（IC 5146: The Cocoon Nebula）--原图下载
Image Credit & Copyright: Luis Romero Ventura
说明: 茧状星云内有个正在形成的星团。直径将近15光年、编录号为IC 5146的茧状星云，座落在北半球夏季夜空的天鹅座方向约4,000光年远之处。如同其他的恒星形成区一样，这个位在一团不可见分子云边缘的星云，其内的氢气因受到炽热年轻恒星激发而发出泛红的辉光，而部分尘埃则因为反射星光而呈蓝色。事实上，位在星云中心附近、可能只有数百万年稚龄的亮星，除了激发星云发光之外，也在孕育恒星的分子云尘埃和气体里清出一个空穴。这幅总曝光时间长达48小时的极深空彩色影像，清楚呈现了这个满是尘埃的恒星形成区内部与周围的迷人特徵结构。
原文：
Image Credit & Copyright: Luis Romero Ventura
Explanation: Inside the Cocoon Nebula is a newly developing cluster of stars.Cataloged asIC 5146, the beautifulnebula is nearly 15 light-years wide.Soaring high innorthern summer night skies,it's located some 4,000 light years away toward the constellation of the Swan (Cygnus). Like other star forming regions, it stands outin red, glowing, hydrogen gasexcited by young, hot stars,and dust-reflected starlightat the edge of an otherwise invisiblemolecular cloud. In fact, the bright star found near the center of this nebula is likelyonly a few hundred thousand years old, powering the nebular glow as itclears out a cavity in the molecular cloud's star forming dust and gas.A 48-hour long integration resulted in thisexceptionally deep color view tracing tantalizing features within and surrounding the dustystellarnursery.
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