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Article: A distorted view of the Southern Crab. (nebula visible in a Southern Hemisphere constellation)
- Article from:
- Science News
- Article date:
- January 13, 1990
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1990 Science Service, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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A distorted view of the Southern Crab
The Crab nebula is one of the more famous astronomical sights visible from the Northern Hemisphere. But it takes a well-developed imagination to see the shape of a crab in its envelope of glowing gases. That designation better suits the crab-like appearance of a recently discovered nebula, He 2-104, in the Southern Hemisphere constellation Centaurus. He 2-104's crustacean shape is evident in the accompanying photograph of the object as seen in the light emitted by nitrogen ions.
But why does the "Southern Crab" have this unusual shape? New evidence suggests this nebula represents an important but comparatively brief ...