HT TECH wants to start sending you push notifications. Click allow to subscribe

NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day 8 February 2023: Wind-shaped Nebula RCW 58

NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day is a mesmerizing snapshot of the Stellar-wind shaped Nebula located in the constellation of Carina.

By: HT TECH
Updated on: Feb 08 2023, 13:28 IST
Stellar Wind-shaped Nebula RCW 58 is an oval shaped nebula 13000 light-years away. (NASA/Mike Selby/Mark Hanson)
Stellar Wind-shaped Nebula RCW 58 is an oval shaped nebula 13000 light-years away. (NASA/Mike Selby/Mark Hanson)

A nebula is a giant cloud of dust and gas in space, according to NASA. These celestial objects exist in the space between stars, known as the Interstellar space. Some nebulae originate from the gas and dust thrown out by the explosion of a dying star while other nebulae are star-forming regions. Although most of the Nebulae are located millions of light-years away, NASA is able to capture them with the help of its Spitzer Space Telescope, Hubble Space Telescope and the new James Webb Space Telescope.

NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day is a mesmerizing snapshot of the Stellar Wind-Shaped Nebula RCW 58. It is located nearly 13000 light-years away in the constellation of Carina. The Nebula has a wolf star located in the center, a star which is 100 times as massive as our Sun, a million times more luminous, and with 30 times the surface temperature. When these stars expand, they eject high-speed stellar winds through their outer layer. These winds sculpt the material surrounding the Nebula, creating its peculiar shape, such as the oval shape of the Nebula in this case.

You may be interested in

30% OFF
Celestron Astromaster 70az Telescope
  • 38.0 x 13.0 x 10.0 cm
  • 8.18 kilograms
  • 2 Years warranty
₹13,370₹18,990
Buy now
37% OFF
Celestron Powerseeker 60az Telescope
  • 41.91 x 25.4 x 74.93 cm
  • 1.66 kilograms
  • 2 Years warranty
₹7,495₹11,990
Buy now
23% OFF
Celestron 71256 G2 10x50 Upclose Wide Angle Porro Binocular
  • 20.32 x 17.78 x 6.35 cm
  • 0.77 kilograms
  • Lifetime warranty
₹4,999₹6,500
Buy now
33% OFF
Celestron Upclose G2 20x50 Porro Binocular
  • 18.55 x 16.01 x 81.28 cm
  • 0.8 kilograms
  • Lifetime warranty
₹4,690₹6,990
Buy now

The Image was captured by astronomers Mike Selby and Mark Hanson.

Also read: Looking for a smartphone? To check mobile finder click here.

NASA’s description of the picture

Imagine traveling to a star about 100 times as massive as our Sun, a million times more luminous, and with 30 times the surface temperature. Such stars exist, and some are known as Wolf Rayet (WR) stars, named after French astronomers Charles Wolf and Georges Rayet. The central star in this image is WR 40 which is located toward the constellation of Carina. Stars like WR 40 live fast and die young in comparison with the Sun. They quickly exhaust their core hydrogen supply, move on to fusing heavier core elements, and expand while ejecting their outer layers via high stellar winds.

In this case, the central star WR 40 ejects the atmosphere at a speed of nearly 100 kilometers per second, and these outer layers have become the expanding oval-shaped nebula RCW 58.

Catch all the Latest Tech News, Mobile News, Laptop News, Gaming news, Wearables News , How To News, also keep up with us on ,Twitter, Facebook, , and Instagram. For our latest videos, subscribe to our YouTube channel.

First Published Date: 08 Feb, 13:27 IST
NEXT ARTICLE BEGINS