#sh2-101

[quiltofstars]

The Tulip Nebula, Sh2-101 // Saqib Zulfiqar & Spacetime Pictures

[therealuniverse]

THE TULIP NEBULA This is a telescopic view looking out along the plane of the Milky Way Galaxy toward the nebula rich constellation Cygnus the Swan. The image shows a bright emission region known as the Tulip Nebula; it is a glowing cloud of gas and dust also known as Sh2-101. the nebula is about 8,000 light years distant. The Tulip Nebula is so named as it resembles the outline of a tulip, though it is not the only nebula named after a flower.

The image is a composite that maps emission from ionised sulphur, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms into red, green, and blue colours. The atoms are ionised by ultraviolet radiation from a young, energetic O star called HDE 227018; this powers the emission from the Tulip Nebula. HDE 227018 is the bright star very near the blue arc at the image centre. -TEL http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap120726.html Image credit: Michael Joner, David Laney (West Mountain Observatory, BYU); Processing - Robert Gendler

[spinningblueball]

Sh2-101 - Tulip Nebula

[cosmicvastness]

The Tulip and Cygnus X-1 

Framing a bright emission region, this telescopic view looks out along the plane of our Milky Way Galaxy toward the nebula rich constellation Cygnus the Swan. Popularly called the Tulip Nebula, the reddish glowing cloud of interstellar gas and dust is also found in the 1959 catalog by astronomer Stewart Sharpless as Sh2-101. About 8,000 light-years distant and 70 light-years across the complex and beautiful nebula blossoms at the center of this composite image. Ultraviolet radiation from young energetic stars at the edge of the Cygnus OB3 association, including O star HDE 227018, ionizes the atoms and powers the emission from the Tulip Nebula. HDE 227018 is the bright star near the center of the nebula. Also framed in the field of view is microquasar Cygnus X-1, one of the strongest X-ray sources in planet Earth's sky. Driven by powerful jets from a black hole accretion disk, its fainter visible curved shock front lies above and right, just beyond the cosmic Tulip's petals.

Credit: Ivan Eder

[quiltofstars]

The Tulip Nebula, Sh2-101 // luiguymm

[quiltofstars]

The Tulip Nebula (Sh2-101, right) // Maria K

[quiltofstars]

The Tulip Nebula, Sh2-101 // Tony Williams

[quiltofstars]

The Tulip Nebula, Sh2-101 // AlexisNo