Stars Burst Into Being in Spectacular 'Running Chicken' Nebula

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Running Chicken Nebula Skywatching Lau
Some observers see the likeness of a chicken running from left to right with the tip of its beak at the brightest star. (Image credit: Angus Lau)

An avid astrophotographer tries to answer the question, "Why did the chicken cross the nebula?" in this spectacular photo.

Stargazer Angus Lau captured this image of IC2944, also known as the Running Chicken Nebula, in April 2012 from Warrumbungle Observatory in Coonabarabran, Australia.

Some observers see the likeness of a chicken running from left to right with the tip of its beak at the brightest star in this cosmic cloud. This very faint nebula lies in the in the large southern constellation of Centaurus (The Centaur) about 6,500 light-years from Earth. (A light-year is the distance light travels in one year — about 6 trillion miles, or 10 trillion kilometers.)

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Nina Sen
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.