Here’s this week’s Where In The Universe Challenge. You know what to do: take a look at this image and see if you can determine where in the universe this image is from; give yourself extra points if you can name the instrument responsible for the image. We’ll provide the image today, but won’t reveal the answer until later in the week. This gives you a chance to mull over the image and provide your answer/guess in the comment section. Please, no links or extensive explanations of what you think this is — give everyone the chance to guess.
UPDATE: The answer has now been posted below!
Tsk, tsk. A few of you posted links in your answer — that’s not allowed. Remember — no links or extensive explanations.
This rather creepy-looking image could be construed as a cavern or the mouth of monster. It is actually a storm of billowing clouds blown by the winds from massive stars, and set aglow by their light. This is a nebula within cluster NGC1929, known as the N44 superbubble. This particular image was taken by the Gemini Multi-object Spectrograph (GMOS) on the Gemini South Telescope in Chile. You can read more about it on this press release from Gemini, or this previous article on Universe Today, or this ESO article
Moscow and vicinity within the last few days, photographed from space at night?
This is the n 44 superbubble, a.k.a. ngc 1929 in the Large Magellanic Cloud. Don Goldman discussed it in a post in the July 12, 2008 issue of Universe Today (http://www.universetoday.com/15524/cosmic-monster-n44-by-don-goldman/).
I could not find this. I guess this might be called something like the Shark Jaw nebula.
LC
The telescope was the Gemini telescope (see January 5, 2008 issue of Universe today: http://www.universetoday.com/11250/superbubble-complex-n44/)
I have no earthly idea, good one Nancy! I do like LBC’s suggestion for naming this nebula.
The Heart Nebula???
My first thought is the Heart Nebula, but searching APOD I could not find a matching image.
My first thought is the Heart Nebula, but searching APOD I could not find a matching image. The shark nebula sounds good to me.
This might reflect the absoption of hydrogen from smaller galaxies, or from the surrounding region of space.
LC
It’s the emission nebula N44 Supperbubble in the Large Magellanic Cloud, as seen by the 8-metre Gemini South Telescope on Cerro Pachon in Chile.
😎
Stupid smegging typos! That should be Superbubble, not “Supperbubble”. 😐
open snake mouth with one tooth nebula
Why not. Around here we tend to call M-27 the apple core.
N44 Supperbubble in the Large Magellanic Cloud looks to be it.
LC
It looks like it’s screaming. But of course in space …
It’s the Don King Nebula.