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> CG4 a cometary globule in Puppis - Wide field

CG4 a cometary globule in Puppis - Wide field

author: Tom Davis/Novapix

reference: a-neb98-00104

Image Size 300 DPI: 40 * 38 cm

This region of the southern sky has numerous colorful faint gaseous nebulae that are very difficult to image due to thier very low surface brightness. CG4 is a ruptured cometary globule that appears to be ready to "eat" the distant galaxy ESO257-019. In fact, these two objects are very far apart; ESO257-019 being more than 100 million light years further away than CG4. Cometary globules are isolated, relatively small clouds of gas and dust within the Milky Way. CG4, is about 1,300 light years from Earth. Its head is some 1.5 light-years in diameter, and its tail is about eight light-years long. The dusty cloud contains enough material to make several Sun-sized stars. Bottom left is the galaxy NGC 2427.

Keywords for this photo:

2008 - ASTRONOMY - CG4 - COMETARY GLOBULE - ESO 257-19 - GALAXY - MEL 66 - MELOTTE 66 - NEBULA - NGC 2427 - OPEN CLUSTER - PUPPIS - SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE - SPIRAL GALAXY - STAR - STAR CLUSTER - STAR FORMATION -