WASHINGTON: The Medusa Nebula is being seen in exquisite detail in a new image released by the European Southern Observatory. The picture was taken by astronomers using the Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile.
Also known as Sharpless 2-274, the Medusa Nebula is seen in the constellation of Gemini the Twins. Stretching about 4 light years in diameter, the object resides approximately 1,500 light years from our own planet. Because it is exceptionally dim, this object is difficult for astronomers to view, despite its size.
Sharpless 2-274 derives its common name from the Gorgon Medusa of Greek mythology, who possessed a head full of snakes. Red filaments of hydrogen gas in the nebula reminded some astronomers of this serpentine hair, while oxygen, seen in green, appears to form a face.
This nebula was discovered in 1955, although it was originally thought to be the remnants of a supernova. In 1971, astronomers in the Soviet Union determined it is a planetary nebula formed from gases expelled by a dying red giant star.
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