Galaxy-chasing nebula caught on camera

dipdude

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Dramatic image of 'cometary globule'

The National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) has posted the 1000th image on its splendid gallery - a magnificent snap of the "cometary globule CG4" which appears to be about to consume spiral galaxy ESO 257-19.



The image was captured by Travis Rector and Tim Abbott using a "64-megapixel Mosaic imaging camera on the National Science Foundation's Victor M Blanco telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory", as the NAOA blurb explains.

CG4 is a star-forming region in the southern constellation of Puppis lying around 1,300 light years from Earth. The "head" measures roughly 1.5 light years in diameter with a tail stretching eight light years. According to NOAO, the globule packs enough material to form several Sun-sized stars, while its opaque head glows due to illumination by nearby hot stars.

The spiral galaxy which appears to be on the menu is, in fact, 100 million light years further away, and therefore well out of harm's way.
 
Okay, i dont know whether i'm knowledgeable enough to question those whizkids who found it out, but looking at the 2D image, it just struck me that isnt is possible that the Nebula isnt exactly in the line of the galaxy(as it appears) and maybe, closer to the camera than the galaxy itself..i mean, isnt it possible?
That way the nebula may be on a different path well clear of the galaxy and just pass it by? ;) :S
 
anyway the possibility of the two meeting each other is most unlikely since as per the hubbles law all the things move away from each other i think ;)
 
^^Lol..i dont think that the universe is infinite and that all of tha matter can move away from each other forever..at one point of time they may be traversed by another matter in their path when the edge is reached..

Also, galaxies do cross each others paths...there have a few recorded incidents of a galaxy colliding with another and forming an altogether new cluster from the galactic debris..
 
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