Kronberger 61 facts for kids
| Emission nebula | |
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| Planetary nebula | |
Image of the Kronberger 61 nebula taken by the Gemini Observatory
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| Observation data: J2000 epoch | |
| Right ascension | 19h 21m 38.936s |
| Declination | +38° 18′ 57.2420″ |
| Constellation | Cygnus |
| Designations | Kronberger 61, Soccer Ball Nebula |
Kronberger 61, also known as the "Soccer Ball Nebula", is a beautiful cloud of gas and dust in space. An amateur astronomer discovered it in January 2011. Later, the powerful Gemini Observatory took clearer pictures. This nebula is named after Mattias Kronberger from Austria. He is part of a group of amateur sky watchers called the Deep Sky Hunters.
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What is Kronberger 61?
Kronberger 61 is a type of space cloud called a nebula. It looks a bit like a soccer ball, which is how it got its nickname. Scientists believe this nebula is about 13,000 light-years away from us. A light-year is the distance light travels in one year. That's a very, very long way!
Where is the Soccer Ball Nebula?
This nebula is found near the northern constellation of Cygnus. Cygnus is also known as the Swan. Amateur astronomers found it while looking closely at this area of the sky.
Why is this Nebula Important?
The discovery of Kronberger 61 is very exciting for scientists. They hope it will help solve a big mystery. This mystery is about how planetary nebulae form. It also helps understand the role of companion stars in their creation.
How Do We See It?
The light we see from Kronberger 61 comes mostly from oxygen gas. This oxygen has lost two of its electrons, making it "doubly ionized." This process makes the gas glow brightly.
Monitoring Kronberger 61
The area around Kronberger 61 is quite small. NASA's Kepler mission is watching this region. The Kepler spacecraft usually looks for planets outside our solar system.
About the Gemini Observatory
The Gemini Observatory helped take amazing pictures of Kronberger 61. It has two very large telescopes. Each telescope is 8.1 meters (about 26.6 feet) wide.
Where are the Gemini Telescopes?
One telescope, called Gemini North, is in Hawaii. The other, Gemini South, is in Chile. Having two telescopes helps astronomers. They can observe almost the entire sky, both in the north and the south.
Images for kids
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Image of the Kronberger 61 nebula taken by the Gemini Observatory
See also
In Spanish: Kronberger 61 para niños
