A Close Look at the Toby Jug Nebula

[Waspie_Dwarf]

A Close Look at the Toby Jug Nebula

ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) has captured a remarkably detailed image of the Toby Jug Nebula, a cloud of gas and dust surrounding a red giant star. This view shows the characteristic arcing structure of the nebula, which, true to its name, does indeed look a little like a jug with a handle.

Located about 1200 light-years from Earth in the southern constellation of Carina (The Ship’s Keel), the Toby Jug Nebula, more formally known as IC 2220, is an example of a reflection nebula. It is a cloud of gas and dust illuminated from within by a star called HD 65750. This star, a type known as a red giant, has five times the mass of our Sun but it is in a much more advanced stage of its life, despite its comparatively young age of around 50 million years.

Source

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Zooming in into the Toby Jug Nebula

This video sequence starts with a view of the spectacular Milky Way. As we zoom in, we can see the constellation of Carina (The Keel) and then the curious shape of the Toby Jug Nebula as captured in an image from the Very Large Telescope at ESO’s Paranal Observatory in Chile.

Credit: ESO/Nick Risinger (skysurvey.org). Music: movetwo

Source: ESO Observatory

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Panning across a VLT view of the Toby Jug Nebula

Located about 1200 light-years from Earth in the southern constellation of Carina (The Ship’s Keel), the Toby Jug Nebula, more formally known as IC 2220, is an example of a reflection nebula. It is a cloud of gas and dust illuminated from within by the central star, designated HD 65750. This pan video gives a closer look at this rare object.

Credit: ESO. Music: movetwo

Source: ESO Observatory