NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has revealed a stunning new photograph of a “snowman” located a surprising distance of 6,000 light years from Earth. This remarkable image shows a detailed, distant nebula resembling the well-known symbol of winter, expertly captured with Hubble precision.
The cosmic artwork, framed against the expansive backdrop of space, offers a fascinating look at the wonders of the universe.
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- What did NASA find?
- Why was the ‘snowman’ photo taken?
- See photo below:
- How did the Internet react?
What did NASA find?
The United States Space Agency, NASA, constantly captures stunning images of the cosmos that captivate outer space enthusiasts. NASA’s Instagram account is a valuable resource for people who enjoy watching educational videos and captivating images that showcase both Earth and the vastness of space.
In a recent update, NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope photographed a “snowman”-like celestial object located approximately 6,000 light-years away from our planet.
6,000 light years away, NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope captures the ‘snowman’ | Image: Instagram
According to the agency, the captured image has been categorized as an “emission nebula.” These are “diffuse clouds of gas that have been energized by the proximity of massive stars, causing them to radiate light independently.” The space agency further explained that the radiation emitted by these massive stars induces ionization, in which electrons are stripped from the nebula’s hydrogen atoms.
As these energized electrons transition from higher to lower energy states, they release energy in the form of light, causing the gas within the nebula to light up. The captured image reveals three prominent, bright, bluish-white stars located in the upper left, marking the beginning of a vivid, dusty expanse of luminous reddish-brown, orange and white gas and dust.
NASA describes the upper sections of this region as vaguely resembling a snowman, complete with a scarf and top hat. Additionally, NASA notes that the remaining parts of the image appear dark and are filled with bright stars, a considerable number of which exhibit diffraction peaks.
Why was the ‘snowman’ photo taken?
The image was captured as part of a research initiative focused on “protostars,” which refers to newly formed stars that fall within the massive and intermediate size categories. The scientists specifically sought to identify hydrogen ionized by ultraviolet light emanating from these protostars, as well as study the jets emitted by the stars and other features by taking advantage of the infrared sensitivity of Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3.
See photo below:
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How did the Internet react?
The image has garnered more than 60,000 likes so far. The post has many comments from some users who are confused by the discovery while others seem mesmerized.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn