Have you ever wondered where the stars in the sky came from?
This particular nebula is only visible in the Southern Hemisphere and is considered one of the jewels of our beautiful night skies.
The Courier is pleased to bring on board Angus Burns, Senior Manager: WWF-SA Land & Biodiversity Stewardship Portfolio in Newcastle, who will be contributing regular columns on nature and on the world around us – which will be both educational and fun!
The columns will also be appearing in our print edition.
Ever wondered where stars come from? They are formed within vast cosmic clouds of gas and dust that are found within galaxies.
These clouds are referred to as Nebulae and when sufficient quantities of the dust and gas within them form clumps or knots, they begin to collapse under their own gravitational attraction. As this collapse occurs, the centre material begins to heat up and eventually becomes the core of a future star. As the density and temperature of the core increases, more dust and gas is attracted and the star grows.
It’s important to note that not all the material is incorporated in the star and may become the foundations for asteroids, planets and even comets. In this image is a portion of the famous Eta Carina nebula photographed from Northern KZN with a Celestron 9.25” telescope.
This particular nebula is only visible in the Southern Hemisphere and is considered one of the jewels of our beautiful night skies. It is amazing to think that future stars (and planets) are being formed in this magnificent, expansive celestial wonder.
