The Bubble Nebula
The Bubble Nebula! This unusual deep space object is located 11,000 light years from earth in the constellation of Cassiopeia. The "bubble" is the result of a massive star that is 40 times larger than our sun and one million times brighter. This star resides in the middle of the "bubble" and is so hot it generates enormous stellar winds that travel at 4 million miles per hour and collide with the hydrogen rich space dust that make up the surrounding nebulosity. As the stellar winds smack up against the nebula, it creates the outer wall of the "bubble" and heats the atoms which causes them to excite and emit light. Hydrogen emits the reddish glow that illuminates the "bubble" and surrounding nebula. The "bubble" may look small, but it is 7 light years across in diameter. This is one BIG space BUBBLE!