Astronomy Picture of the Day

CG4: A Ruptured Cometary Globule


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#85229 by @ 15.03.2006 00:00 - nach oben -
CG4: A Ruptured Cometary Globule


Explanation:
Can a gas cloud eat a galaxy?

It's not even close.

The odd looking "creature" in the center of the
above photo is a gas cloud known as a
cometary globule.

This globule, however, has ruptured.

Cometary globules
are typically characterized by
dusty heads and
elongated tails.

These features cause cometary
globules
to have visual similarities to comets,
but in reality they are very much different.

Globules
are frequently the birthplaces of stars,
and many show very young stars in their heads.

The reason for the rupture in the head of this
object is not completely known.

The galaxy
to the left of center is huge, very far in the distance, and only placed near
CG4 by chance superposition.




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