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Explanation: Massive star IRS4 is beginning to spread its wings. Born only about 100,000 years ago, material streaming out from this newborn star has formed the nebula dubbed Sharpless 106 Nebula (S106), pictured above. A large disk of dust and gas orbiting Infrared Source 4 (IRS4), visible in dark red near the image center, gives the nebula an hourglass shape. S106 gas near IRS4 acts as an emission nebula as it emits light after being ionized, while dust far from IRS4 reflects light from the central star and so acts as a reflection nebula. Detailed inspection of this representative color infrared image has revealed hundreds of low-mass brown dwarf stars lurking in the nebula's gas. S106 spans about 2 light-years and lies about 2000 light-years away toward the constellation of Cygnus.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: nebula - stellar nursery - massive stars
Publications with words: nebula - stellar nursery - massive stars
See also:
- APOD: 2025 July 22 B A Double Detonation Supernova
- APOD: 2025 March 18 B LDN 1235: The Shark Nebula
- APOD: 2024 June 11 B Colorful Stars and Clouds near Rho Ophiuchi
- APOD: 2024 January 23 B Deep Nebulas: From Seagull to California
- APOD: 2023 June 14 B The Shark Nebula
- NGC 7380: The Wizard Nebula
- A Galaxy Beyond Stars, Gas, Dust