What's so interesting about it is its specific colour and size. Giant clouds of gas and dust usually form galaxies like IC 2497 seen right above it. This cloud is the size of the Milky Way, has a very irregular shape and has a strong green colour.
No worries though as it is thought to be 'light echoes' from a quasar that has since died but the light it shone on the cloud is still reaching us. Oxygen molecules ionized by the quasar gives it a narrow wavelength band of green.
Last edited by Dreaming Of Pandora; 01-14-2011 at 12:16 PM.
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01-14-2011, 07:45 AM
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