description Pistol Nebula Overview
The Pistol Nebula is an emission nebula in the Milky Way near the Galactic Center, in the direction of the constellation Sagittarius. It surrounds the Pistol Star, an extremely luminous massive star whose intense radiation and stellar wind illuminate and shape material expelled during earlier eruptive episodes. Because interstellar dust heavily obscures this region at visible wavelengths, astronomers study the nebula chiefly through infrared observations.
help Pistol Nebula FAQ
What is the Pistol Nebula around?
The Pistol Nebula is an emission nebula around the Pistol Star, a luminous blue variable near the Galactic Center in the direction of Sagittarius. The star's radiation and stellar wind illuminate and shape material it previously expelled.
How far away is the Pistol Nebula?
It is about 25,000 light-years from Earth, toward Sagittarius and the center of the Milky Way. Dust in the Galactic Center hides it at visible wavelengths, which is why NASA's Hubble image used infrared observations from NICMOS.
Why is it called the Pistol Nebula?
The name comes from the pistol-like shape seen in early lower-resolution images of the nebula. It is also part of the Quintuplet Cluster region, which helps explain the dense, bright stellar setting around it.
How powerful is the Pistol Star?
NASA has described the Pistol Star as radiating roughly 10 million times the Sun's luminosity and producing shells of expelled gas. One shell spans about 4 light-years, a scale that makes the nebula a visible record of massive-star mass loss.
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