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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