What created this huge space bubble? A massive star [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] that is not only bright and blue, but also emitting a fast stellar wind [ http://www-spof.gsf…] of ionized gas [ http://www.unm.edu/…]. The Bubble Nebula [ http://heritage.sts…] is actually the smallest of three bubbles surrounding massive star BD 602522, and part of gigantic bubble network S162 [ http://adsabs.harva…] created with the help of other massive stars. As fast moving gas expands off BD 602522, it pushes surrounding sparse gas into a shell [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…]. The energetic starlight then ionizes the shell, causing it to glow. The above picture [ http://oposite.stsc…] taken with the Hubble Space Telescope [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] and released [ http://oposite.stsc…] last week shows many details of the Bubble Nebula [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] never seen before and many still not understood. The nebula, also known as NGC 7635 [ http://www.aao.gov.…], is about six light-years across and visible with a small telescope towards the constellation of Cassiopeia [ http://www.astro.wi…].
Explanation
What created this huge space bubble? A massive star [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] that is not only bright and blue, but also emitting a fast stellar wind [ http://www-spof.gsf…] of ionized gas [ http://www.unm.edu/…]. The Bubble Nebula [ http://heritage.sts…] is actually the smallest of three bubbles surrounding massive star BD 602522, and part of gigantic bubble network S162 [ http://adsabs.harva…] created with the help of other massive stars. As fast moving gas expands off BD 602522, it pushes surrounding sparse gas into a shell [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…]. The energetic starlight then ionizes the shell, causing it to glow. The above picture [ http://oposite.stsc…] taken with the Hubble Space Telescope [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] and released [ http://oposite.stsc…] last week shows many details of the Bubble Nebula [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] never seen before and many still not understood. The nebula, also known as NGC 7635 [ http://www.aao.gov.…], is about six light-years across and visible with a small telescope towards the constellation of Cassiopeia [ http://www.astro.wi…].
