- Hen 2-427, a Wolf-Rayet star, is captured with its surrounding nebula M1-67 by Hubble.
- The star and nebula are located 15,000 light-years away in the constellation Sagittarius.
- Hen 2-427 ejects hot gas at speeds over 150,000 kilometers per hour into space.
A stunning space image is showing a rare and beautiful pairing of a powerful star and the glowing cloud around it. The picture captures the star Hen 2-427, also known as WR 124, and the nebula M1-67 that surrounds it. Both were photographed by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. These objects are located in the constellation Sagittarius and are about 15,000 light-years away from Earth, reported NASA.
The star Hen 2-427 shines brightly in the center of the image. Around it are clumps of hot gas, being ejected into space at speeds of over 93,210 miles, or 150,000 kilometers, per hour. This creates a powerful and impressive spectacle in space.
What Kind Of Star Is Hen 2-427?
Hen 2-427 is considered a Wolf-Rayet class star. Such stars are named after astronomers Charles Wolf and Georges Rayet. Wolf-Rayet stars are extremely hot and eject vast amounts of matter into space.
A Small But Extremely Beautiful Nebula
Nebula M1-67 is believed to be no more than about 10,000 years old. This makes it quite young in astronomical terms. Nevertheless, it presents a very beautiful and attractive sight, shining around the powerful star in its center, reported NASA.
