Using a different telescope at lower magnification from my recent image of the inner core, this view of the Iris nebula lets us “pull back” and appreciate the wider context that it sits within. An infinity of stars in clear space gives way to an immense cloud of gas and dust that extends for 10’s of lightyears in all directions. The super luminous star at the core of the Iris nebula punctuates this inert raw material with a furnace of brilliant light, the short wavelengths catching and scattering within the dust to create a sparkling blue haze.
Isn’t the reality of our Universe beautiful? Wow.
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