Celestial hemisphere:  Southern  ·  Constellation: Puppis (Pup)  ·  Contains:  HD60431  ·  HD60671  ·  HD60752  ·  HD60794  ·  HD60795  ·  HD60839  ·  PGC 21338
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CG4 God's Hand Nebula in HaLRGB, Capturing Ancient Photons
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CG4 God's Hand Nebula in HaLRGB

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CG4 God's Hand Nebula in HaLRGB, Capturing Ancient Photons
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CG4 God's Hand Nebula in HaLRGB

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Description

CG4, also known by the more evocative name "God's Hand," is a cosmic cloud of gas and dust located roughly 1,300 light-years from Earth in the constellation Puppis. CG4's distinctive feature is its resemblance to a comet. It has a dense head, estimated to be 1.5 light-years wide, and a long, trailing tail stretching out for about 8 light-years. This resemblance is why astronomers classify it as a "cometary globule." Despite its ominous nickname, CG4 is actually a nursery for new stars. The dense head of the nebula is a rich environment of hydrogen gas and dust, which provides the fuel for stellar formation. Images of CG4, like this one, often show it seemingly reaching out towards a neighboring spiral galaxy. This is a mere trick of perspective. The galaxy, known as ESO 257-19, is vastly farther away, positioned along our line of sight to CG4.

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