NASA shares iconic image of cosmic cloud's silver lining 'emission nebula NGC 2313'

NASA on Saturday shared mesmeric imagery of emission nebula NGC 2313 located approximately 3,756 light-years away in constellation of Monoceros. Captured by NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, nebula also dubbed as LDN 1653 or Parsamyan 17 was first discovered on January 4, 1862, by a German astronomer Heinrich Louis d’Arrest. According to NASA, bright nebula NGC 2313 is energized by a relatively younger intermediate-mass star known as V565, which can be seen shining vibrantly in center of Hubble’s image. star V565, according to astronomers, is a fan-shaped veil of gas and dust, while right half of this image is obscured by a dense cloud of dust. 

“Nebulae with similar shapes were once called “cometary nebulae” because star with an accompanying bright fan looked like a comet with a bright tail,” said NASA in a release, sharing stunning photograph. It is surrounded by nearly four bright diffraction spikes. Such stars accompanied by intense fan of gas were referred to as cometary nebulae in astronomical journals. Although, term is less frequently used now. " language that astronomers use changes as we become better acquainted with universe, and astronomical history is littered with now-obsolete phrases to describe objects in night sky, such as “spiral nebulae” for spiral galaxies," NASA explained. It ded, “V565 is surrounded by four prominent diffraction spikes and illuminates a silvery, fan-shaped veil of gas and dust, while right half of this image is obscured by a dense cloud of dust,” astronomers informed. 

Captured by Hubble's ACS instrument

image of NGC 2313 was taken by Hubble’s vanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) instrument in near-infrared and optical parts of spectrum. A wide-V (F606W) filter and near-infrared (F814W) filter was used that resulted in capturing an iconic picture of nebula with its hues standing out and colours split distinctly. “Gorgeous, isn’t it? Hubble, we love you,” wrote NASA in an Instagram post. astrophiles dropped a slew of comments on spectacular photograph. “Wow so cosmic,” one wrote. “Beautiful image from Hubble,” anor wrote. “That looks so pretty,” meanwhile one or said.