'Wispy blue swirls': NASA shares extraordinary image of Cygnus Loop nebula that looks like 'abstracted skull'

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has shared an amazing image of the Cygnus Loop nebula on its official Instagram account. According to a social media user, it looks like an "abstracted skull".

NASA says that the wispy blue swirls of the Cygnus Loop nebula are basically the result of a massive stellar explosion that occurred 5,000 to 8,000 years ago.

ALSO READ |Deep-sea mining noise pollution will stretch hundreds of miles: Study

Add WION as a Preferred Source

For the unversed, it is known that Cygnus Loop is a large supernova remnant (SNR) in the constellation Cygnus, an emission nebula measuring nearly 3° across.

In the post, NASA says that Supernova remnants like this nebula play an important role in "stellar evolution, enriching space with heavy elements and spurring the formation of new stars by compressing stellar gas".

WATCH |Mission to bring back samples from Mars

ALSO READ |Meraxes gigas: Scientists discover new giant dinosaur predator with tiny arms

As per NASA, the gas and dust visible here in an ultraviolet (UV) image from our Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) were heated by the shockwave from the supernova.

GALEX was an orbiting space telescope that made observations at UV wavelengths to measure the history of stars forming in the universe. NASA said that the observations were made nearly all the way back to the Big Bang.

The Cygnus Loop apparently extends over three times the size of the full moon in the night sky.

See the picture here:

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.