NGC 7635: The Bubble Nebula

2024-10-30: NGC 7635: The Bubble Nebula
Copyright: Chad Leader
Model: gpt-4.1-mini
Prompt version: 1.0

What created this huge space bubble? Blown by the wind from a star, this tantalizing, head-like apparition is cataloged as NGC 7635, but known simply as the Bubble Nebula.

The featured striking view utilizes a long exposure to reveal the intricate details of this cosmic bubble and its environment. Although it looks delicate, the 10 light-year diameter bubble offers evidence of violent processes at work.

Seen here above and right of the Bubble’s center, a bright hot star is embedded in the nebula’s reflecting dust. A fierce stellar wind and intense radiation from the star, which likely has a mass 10 to 20 times that of the Sun, has blasted out the structure of glowing gas against denser material in a surrounding molecular cloud.

The intriguing Bubble Nebula lies a mere 11,000 light-years away toward the boastful constellation Cassiopeia.

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