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The Prawn Nebula, also known as IC 4628, is a massive stellar nursery located around 6,000 light-years from Earth in the Sagittarius Arm of the Milky Way, in the constellation Scorpius (Latin for "scorpion"). It forms part of the tail of the "False Comet" anchored by the bright open cluster NGC 6231. Though the nebula stretches 250 light-years and covers a space four times the size of the full moon, it emits light primarily in wavelengths the human eye cannot detect, making it extremely faint to earthbound viewers. The nebula showcases intricate structures and vibrant colors due to the ionized gas and young, massive stars within it.

The nebula's distinct shape resembles a prawn, hence its name. This celestial beauty offers a captivating glimpse into the birth and evolution of stars. As an emission nebula, which means its gas has been energized, or ionized, by the radiation of nearby stars. The radiation from these massive stars strips electrons from the nebula’s hydrogen atoms. As the energized electrons revert from their higher-energy state to a lower-energy state by recombining with hydrogen nuclei, they emit energy in the form of light, causing the nebula’s gas to glow. In this image, red indicates the presence of ionized iron (Fe II) emission.

To give you a perspective of how far 6,000 Light-years is, if you were to get on our fastest jet plane (the X-15) that traveled at Mach 6.7 (which is about 4,520 mile/hours) it would take you about 900 million years to get there. Even our fastest man made satellite, Parker, traveling at 394,736 miles/hour, would take about 10 million years to reach the nebula.

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