In the constellation Sagittarius, a cloud of gas and dust – ni | Cosmos Astronomia® 🔭
In the constellation Sagittarius, a cloud of gas and dust – nicknamed the Godzilla Nebula – lurks 7,800 light-years from Earth. The now-retired Spitzer Space Telescope’s Galactic Legacy Infrared Mid-Plane Survey Extraordinaire captured the nebula in various infrared wavelengths, represented in different colors. Blue and cyan are wavelengths primarily emitted by stars; dust and organic molecules are represented in green; dust heated by stars and supernovae appears red; and yellow and white are combinations of wavelengths. Much like when a giant lizard topples in the movies, when a massive star dies and explodes into supernovae, it carves and reshapes the surrounding area.
