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Here we see the spectacular cosmic pairing of the star Hen 2-427 – more commonly known as WR 124 – and the nebula M1-67 which surrounds it. Both objects, captured here by the Hubble Space Telescope are found in the constellation of Sagittarius and lie 15 000 light-years away. The star Hen 2-427 shines brightly at the very center of this explosive image and around the hot clumps of gas are ejected into space at over 150 000 kilometers per hour. Hen 2-427 is a Wolf–Rayet star, named after the astronomers Charles Wolf and Georges Rayet. Wolf–Rayet are super-hot stars characterised by a fierce ejection of mass. The nebula M1-67 is estimated to be no more than 10 000 years old – just a baby in astronomical terms – but what a beautiful and magnificent sight it makes.
Image Credit: ESA/Hubble and NASA
Acknowledgement: Judy Schmidt (geckzilla.com)
Image enhancement: Jean-Baptiste Faure
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