April 24 marks the 29th anniversary of the launch of Space Shuttle Discovery STS-31 with the Hubble Space Telescope on board. By this date, the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) timed the publication of another magnificent image transmitted from the orbital observatory.
This image (see full resolution photo below) shows the Southern Crab Nebula, also known as Hen 2-104. It is located at a distance of about 7000 light years from us in the constellation of Centaurus.
The Southern Crab Nebula is shaped like an hourglass. In the central part of this structure are two stars - an aging red giant and a white dwarf.
The formation was first observed in the 1960s, but was initially mistaken for an ordinary star. It was later established that this object is a nebula.
We add that, despite its venerable age, Hubble continues to collect scientific data and transmit beautiful images of the expanses of the Universe to Earth. It is now planned to operate the observatory until at least 2025.
Source: 3dnews.ru