Bat-Shaped Nebula Discovered by Astronomers
- Here's a breakdown of teh key data from the provided text, focusing on the "Bat Nebula":
- * What it is: A cloud of gas and dust in space that appears to be shaped like a bat.
Here’s a breakdown of teh key data from the provided text, focusing on the “Bat Nebula”:
* What it is: A cloud of gas and dust in space that appears to be shaped like a bat.
* How it glows red: Hydrogen atoms around stars are “woken up” by the stars’ energy, causing them to glow a bright red.
* Dark filaments: The “skeleton” of the bat is made up of cooler, denser gas and dust that block light from stars behind them.
* Key components:
* RCW 94: Forms the right wing of the bat.
* RCW 95: Forms the body of the bat.
* Other parts of the bat are currently unnamed.
* Where it was observed: The image was taken with the VST telescope at the ESO Observatory in Chile, primarily using visible light.
* Image credit: ESO/VPHAS+ team/VVV team.