This nebulose , minacious anatomical structure is CG 4 , a cometary globule nicknamed ‘ God ’s Hand ’ . CG 4 is one of many cometary globule present within the Milky Way , and how these objects get their distinct form is still a matter of debate among astronomers . CTIO / NOIRLab / DOE / NSF / AURA Image Processing : T.A. Rector ( University of Alaska Anchorage / NSF ’s NOIRLab ) , D. de Martin & M. Zamani ( NSF ’s NOIRLab )
A arresting Modern epitome from theDark Energy Camera(DECam ) record the glowing structures of the Gum Nebula illuminated by the hot , massive star studded throughout this cloud of detritus and gaseous state . Located 1,300 unaccented - age forth in the configuration of Puppis , this image highlights an unco mold social organization in the nebula that looks like a hand reaching out into infinite . Nicknamed “ God ’s Hand , ” the structure is a eccentric of object called a cometic globule .
A cometary globule is a particularly dull cloud of junk and natural gas with an unusual comet - similar form . They tend to have a compact head , with a long trailing tail , like the comets from which they get their name . But while comets are made of rock and trash , and have tail coat due to ice sublimating as the comet draw near a warm star , the cometic globule get their tails through a different process . They are also much , much larger . In this case , the God ’s Hand globule has a huge head that is 1.5 light - years across , and its tail is eight light - years long .
This cloudy, ominous structure is CG 4, a cometary globule nicknamed ‘God’s Hand’. CG 4 is one of many cometary globules present within the Milky Way, and how these objects get their distinct form is still a matter of debate among astronomers.CTIO/NOIRLab/DOE/NSF/AURA Image Processing: T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage/NSF’s NOIRLab), D. de Martin & M. Zamani (NSF’s NOIRLab)
Technically known as CG 4 , this cometry globule is in fact on the pocket-sized size for membership in a group called Bok globules . The ( relatively ) small sizing compared to whole nebulae or galaxies makes the globules hard to spot , as they tend to be quite lightheaded . “ With its limited Hydrogen - alpha filter , DECam can peck up the faint red glow of ionize hydrogen present within CG 4 ’s head and around its outer rim , ” NOIRLabexplains . “ This spark is produce when hydrogen becomes excited after being bombarded by radiation from nearby red-hot , monumental asterisk . ”
Scientists are still figure out what process produce cometic globules , but they have point out that there are many of them within this nebula in particular . investigator think either they could have been spring after starting lifespan as global nebulae . They were then disrupted by the supernova that created the Gum Nebula . Or they could be form by winds and radioactivity from nearby spicy star .
