APOD: Cometary Globule CG4 (2015 Mar 06)

[APOD Robot]

Cometary Globule CG4

Explanation: The faint and somehow menacing cometary globule CG4 reaches through the center of this deep southern skyscape. About 1,300 light-years from Earth toward the constellation Puppis, its head is about 1.5 light-years in diameter and its tail about 8 light-years long. That's far larger than the Solar System's comets that it seems to resemble. In fact, the dusty cloud contains enough material to form several Sun-like stars and likely has ongoing star formation within. How its distinctive form came about is still debated, but its long tail trails away from the Vela Supernova remnant near the center of the Gum Nebula, while its head could represent the rupture of an originally more spherical cloud. Still, the edge-on spiral galaxy also near picture center is not actually being threatened by CG4. The galaxy lies in the distant background more than 100 million light-years away.

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[double_d]

Does anyone else see the cometary globule as being the arm of the smiling pink ghost on the right side of the photo?

[Beyond]

Well how about that. On the top right, is the other arm.

[Bric]

It may not be reaching for the galaxy because it's trying to grab the pretty pearl necklace beside it.

[starsurfer]

This a glorious and mysterious region of the southern sky and it is especially rare as there are greenish colours in a deep sky object! The pinkish brown dust cloud near the bottom right corner is catalogued as Sandqvist 101 while the smaller cometary globule CG 6 is above it.

Also I perceive CG 4 as wanting to hug the galaxy!

This wider view by Tom Davis also shows the large open cluster Melotte 66 and the spiral galaxy NGC 2427.

This is in fact a very timely APOD as the CEDIC conference starts today in Austria!

[oh well]

Cute little pig lobule.

[hoohaw]

That galaxy is doomed! It is going to be gobbled up!

[starsurfer]

That galaxy is doomed! It is going to be gobbled up!

Poor misunderstood cometary globule, it just wants a HUG!

[DavidLeodis]

After my very recent problem with links having been recorded as read before I have read them (since cleared up) I now have another apparently strange thing! On clicking on the "light-years away" link I get a Wikipedia entry about the 'Sandworm (Dune)' where it starts "The sandworm is a fictional form of desert-dwelling creature from the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert". As nobody else has mentioned it I assume therefore that it is only me that is getting this for whatever reason. I'm yet again!

[Chris Peterson]

After my very recent problem with links having been recorded as read before I have read them (since cleared up) I now have another apparently strange thing! On clicking on the "light-years away" link I get a Wikipedia entry about the 'Sandworm (Dune)' where it starts "The sandworm is a fictional form of desert-dwelling creature from the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert". As nobody else has mentioned it I assume therefore that it is only me that is getting this for whatever reason. I'm :? yet again!

No, that link is by obvious design, given the strong resemblance of the distant galaxy being attacked by a sandworm in this APOD.

[DavidLeodis]

After my very recent problem with links having been recorded as read before I have read them (since cleared up) I now have another apparently strange thing! On clicking on the "light-years away" link I get a Wikipedia entry about the 'Sandworm (Dune)' where it starts "The sandworm is a fictional form of desert-dwelling creature from the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert". As nobody else has mentioned it I assume therefore that it is only me that is getting this for whatever reason. I'm yet again!

No, that link is by obvious design, given the strong resemblance of the distant galaxy being attacked by a sandworm in this APOD.

Wow that was a fast reply Chris . I had not thought of a connection to the look of the globule and the sandworm as I assumed it was probably just another problem at my end!

I hope that I am not getting considered by the forum to be posting what may be considered to be trivial posts that I should have been able to work out before posting them. Apologies to all if I am.