Bubble Nebula Medium:Canvas aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis

aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis

Williams (University of Washington)

This image is not just a visual feast but a testament to the continuous evolution and transformation within the Orion Nebula

500 light-years from Earth

allowing astronomers to measure distances in the Universe by comparing their true brightness with their apparent brightness

Bubble Nebula Medium:Canvas aboard the Space Shuttle AtlantisThe Bubble Nebula was discovered in 1787 by William Herschel, a prominent British astronomer. It is being formed by an extremely bright, massive, and short lived star that has lost most of its outer hydrogen and is now fusing helium into heavier elements. The star is about 4 million years old, and in 10 million to 20 million years, it will likely detonate as a supernova. The Bubble Nebula is 7 light years across about one and a half times the distance