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Pelican Nebula Undergoes Transformation
Confirmed
In Short: The Pelican Nebula, a region of star formation, is slowly changing as young stars transform cold gas into hot gas, according to NASA.
The Pelican Nebula, officially designated IC 5070, is part of a larger complex known as the North America Nebula, separated by a molecular cloud filled with dark dust, as explained by NASA. This region is of particular interest to astronomers due to its active star formation and evolving gas clouds.
A recent image from Utah, USA, captures the intricate details of the Pelican Nebula, showcasing 25 hours of exposure that bring out the filamentary dust structures. The light from young stars is creating an ionization front, visible as a bright orange boundary on the upper right of the image.
Over millions of years, the Pelican Nebula, bounded by the dark nebula LDN 935, may transform into a completely different appearance, as the balance and placement of stars and gas evolve. This ongoing process is a key focus of astronomical study.
What's confirmed
- Explanation: The Pelican Nebula is slowly being transformed.
What's still developing
- APOD's main site is moving : From apod.nasa.gov to science.nasa.gov/apod Tomorrow's picture: geometric Saturn NASA explores the unknown in air and space, innovates for the benefit of humanity, and inspires the world through discovery.
- This means they could have formed around the same time the first stars started to appear.