A stunning telescopic view of the Medusa Nebula (Abell 21), a planetary nebula located 1,500 light-years away in the constellation Gemini. Its vibrant, braided filaments of glowing gas are reminiscent of the mythological Medusa, showcasing the final dramatic transformation of a low-mass star from a red giant to a white dwarf. A bright foreground star is visible near the center, while the dimmer central star of the nebula lies slightly below and to the right. The nebula spans over 4 light-years across.

Astronomy Picture from 12/06/2015

The Medusa Nebula

Source: https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap150612.html


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Here we have the Medusa Nebula, also known as Abell 21, imaged from my backyard. I would like to add some more time to this one to bring out more of the faint details, but the clouds are here to stay. Total 10h 55min
#medusanebula #abell21 #astrophotography #astronomy #astrobackyard