Nebula | |
---|---|
Observation data: J2000 epoch | |
Right ascension | 20h34m 13.25177s[1] |
Declination | +41° 08′ 13.8973″[1] |
Distance | 4600 ly (1400[2] pc) |
Constellation | Cygnus |
Physical characteristics | |
Dimensions | 54.7″ × 14.1″[2] |
See also: Lists of nebulae |
IRAS 20324+4057 is a mixture of interstellar gas and dust that extends a light year in length in the Cygnus constellation, 4,600 light-years away.[2] It is located within the Cygnus OB2 association.[2] It has been imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope and has been nicknamed a "Cosmic Caterpillar", as it resembles a crawling caterpillar.[3] The head of the object is a protostar, but the presence of 65 O-type stars, which tend to scatter the matter accumulated by the Cosmic caterpillar, leaves doubt whether the caterpillar will survive and mature into a star.[4]
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