M20, Trifid Nebula
9,000 light years away is this coral like cloud of gas and dust, called the Trifid Nebula. You can see it's bright red offspring, which also gives it its glow, in the center of the image. Nebulae are what they call star nurseries, because of the fact that they give birth to new stars in our universe. This part of the cloud is 10 light years across, so you can imagine how gargantuan this thing is. Point your giant telescope towards the constellation Sagittarius to find this one.
SN1006 Supernove Remnant
This galactic eyeball in the sky is known as the SN1006 supernova remnant. X-ray data, optical data, and radio image data bring this blue, red, and yellow marble to life. This supernova, which happens when a dying massive star explodes, lit up our Earthly skies in the year 1006 AD. Because this supernova remnant is 7,000 light years away the explosion actually happened 7,000 yrs. before its light reached Earth in 1006 AD.
The Fox Fur Nebula
This galactic beast is also made up of gas and dust. It's amazing, the stars that these immense clouds breed, are the very stars that bring these clouds to life with vivid colors. Without the dust and gas the light from these stars would have nothing to reflect.
Cat's Eye Nebula
Staring at us from about 3,000 light years away is the Cat's Eye Nebula. As the one of the most famous nebulae in the space, the Cat's Eye represents a brief yet wondrous phase in the life of a sun-like star. As we gaze into the Cat's Eye, we may well be seeing the future of our own sun, destined to enter this very same phase in its evolution... in about 5 billion years.
NGC6334: The Cat's Paw Nebula
Nebulae are as famous for being named after familiar shapes, as cats are for letting their curiosity get the best of them. We have yet to identify the enormous feline that left this print behind, but witnesses say its, "Huge, fluffy' and cute." The Cat's Paw visible in the constellation Scorpius, is known to have given birth to stars 10x the size of our sun.
Much like humans, stars go through stages in their lives. These clouds are their mothers who nurture them and raise them. Stars go from infancy, to adulthood where sometimes they care for their own planetary system. To maturity where they die and leave behind a glorious legacy so that they may not soon be forgotten.
