N44 is an incredibly unique nebula featuring a “super bubble” – a vast, dark void filled with mystery at its center.
Nebulae are among the most impressive structures we observe in the universe. N44, one such structure composed of dust and gas, is particularly special. It contains a “super bubble” – a large, dark void at its center that makes it resemble a log hollowed out.
Nebulae are among the most impressive structures we observe in the universe. (Image: NASA).
A new image from the Hubble Space Telescope reveals the peculiar nature of N44, located 177,000 light-years from Earth and spanning 1,000 light-years across.
“This void measures 250 light-years across, and its presence remains a mystery,” NASA stated in an announcement on November 2.
Scientists have proposed several explanations. One possibility is that stellar winds from the stars within this “bubble” have pushed the gas outward, but data regarding this type of wind seems to contradict that idea.
“Because there are massive stars within the nebula that will end their lives in a spectacular explosion, another possibility is that the expanding shells from older supernova explosions have created this structure,” NASA noted. There are remnants of at least one supernova near this “super bubble.”
Hubble is a joint project of NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA). This telescope has been observing the universe for the past 30 years, but due to a minor technical error, it has temporarily halted scientific observations. NASA and ESA hope to bring the telescope back into operation soon to continue capturing images and data of cosmic wonders like N44.
