狼窟星云

2022年11月15日

Wolf’s Cave Nebula
Image Credit & Copyright: Gianni Lacroce

Explanation: The mysterious blue reflection nebula found in catalogs as VdB 152 or Ced 201 really is very faint. It lies at the tip of the long dark nebula Barnard 175 in a dusty complex that has also been called Wolf’s Cave. At the center of this deep telescopic view, the cosmic apparitions are nearly 1,400 light-years away along the northern Milky Way in the royal constellation Cepheus. Interstellar dust in the region blocks light from background stars and scatters light from the embedded bright star, giving the end nebula its characteristic blue color. Though stars do form in molecular clouds, this star seems to have only accidentally wandered into the area, as its measured velocity through space is very different from the cloud’s velocity. At the image bottom is the planetary nebula Dengel-Hartl 5, while red glowing gas from an ancient supernova remnant is also visible along the image’s right side.

Tomorrow’s picture: open space

狼窟星云
图像提供与版权: Gianni Lacroce

说明: 这个编录号为VdB 152或Ced 201的神秘泛蓝反射星云，其实极为昏暗。它位在颀长暗星云巴纳德175的顶端，而巴纳德175所在的尘埃复合体则有狼窟（Wolf’s Cave）之称。座落在这幅深空望远镜图像中心附近的这团幽灵状云气，位于仙王座的北天银河之内，离我们约有1,400光年远。此区域的星际尘埃，除了遮挡背景恒星的星光之外，也散射了内藏的一颗亮星之星光，让柱尖的狼窟星云带着泛蓝的特征辉光。虽然恒星确知会形成于分子云里，但这颗星应只是误闯此区而已，因为它在空间运动的速度和星云极为不同。在这幅图像底缘，还可见到行星状星云Dengel-Hartl 5，以及右缘正在散发泛红辉光的一个古老超新星遗迹。

明日的图片: open space