Free_Astronomy_-_SeptemberOctober_2019

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SPACE CHRONICLES

by ESO

VST captures a

celestial gull in flight

C

olourful and wispy Sharpless 2 - 296 forms the “wings” of an area of sky known as the Seagull Nebula — named for its

resemblance to a gull in flight. This celestial bird contains a fascinating mix of intriguing astronomical objects. Glowing

clouds weave amid dark dust lanes and bright stars. The Seagull Nebula — made up of dust, hydrogen, helium and traces

of heavier elements — is the hot and energetic birthplace of new stars. [ESO/VPHAS+ team/N.J. Wright (Keele University)]

T

he main components of the

Seagull are three large clouds

of gas, the most distinctive be-

ing Sharpless 2 - 296 , which forms the

“wings”. Spanning about 100 light-

years from one wingtip to the other,

Sh 2 - 296 displays glowing material

and dark dust lanes weaving amid

bright stars. It is a beautiful example

of an emission nebula, in this case an

HII region, indicating active forma-

tion of new stars, which can be seen

peppering this image.

It is the radiation emanating from

these young stars that gives the

clouds their fantastical colours and

makes them so eye-catching, by ion-

ising the surrounding gas and caus-

chronicles EN_l'Astrofilo 29/08/2019 15:56 Page 52