Bubble Nebula Dazzles in Amateur Astronomer's Photo

Bubble Nebula Chadha
This image of the Bubble Nebula was taken by astrophotographer Jaspal Chadha from London. (Image credit: Jaspal Chadha)

This interstellar apparition has a surprisingly familiar shape. Known as the Bubble Nebula, the cosmic circle is formed from the wind of a massive star.

This spectactular photo was taken by astrophotographer Jaspal Chadha from London. Chadha used a Altair Astro RC 250TT Scope.

Approximately 6 light-years wide, NGC 7635 is located roughly 7,100 light-years from Earth in the constellation Cassiopeia. A light-year is the distance light travels in one year, or about 6 trillion miles (10 trillion kilometers). Intense radiation and stellar winds from a nearby star created this delicate-looking bubble, surrounded by red, hot gas. [Gallery: Strange Nebula Shapes, What Do You See?]

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Contributing Writer and Producer

Nina Sen is a freelance writer and producer who covered night sky photography and astronomy for Space.com. She began writing and producing content for Space.com in 2011 with a focus on story and image production, as well as amazing space photos captured by NASA telescopes and other missions. Her work also includes coverage of amazing images by astrophotographers that showcase the night sky's beauty.