McNeil's Nebula

McNeil's Nebula

This nebula was discovered by amateur astronomer Jay McNeil in the larger nebula of M78. It is the result of the slow birth of a star about 1,500 light-years away. It is blasting gas away from itself at speeds of more than 600 kilometers per second. The birth of a star takes several tens of thousands of years and these observations are but a brief snapshot of the process. The nebula has since largely faded from view.

Observatory: Gemini Observatory (North)  Mauna Kea, Hawai'i
Telescope: Gemini North
Instrument: GMOS-N  
Astronomer: C. Aspin and K. Pu'uohau-Pummill (Gemini Observatory) and T. A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage)
Date of Observation: 02-14-2004
Filters and Assigned Colors: g (blue), r (green) and i (red)
Exposure Times:
Location of Image: Orion
Field of View: 2.6 x 2.6 arcsminutes
Orientation:
Link to Full Resolution Image
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