Horse-Shaped Nebula Seen in 'Unprecedented' Detail Thanks to New NASA Photos

Published on April 30, 2024 05:42PM EDT

NASA

Space aficionados are raving about the latest images released of a special horse-shaped nebula.

Courtesy of NASA's own James Webb Space Telescope, recent images of the Horsehead Nebula are the sharpest infrared images ever of a zoomed-in portion of one of the most distinctive objects in outer space, according to NASA. 

"These observations show the top of the "horse's mane" or edge of this iconic nebula in a whole new light, capturing the region's complexity with unprecedented spatial resolution," the space agency said in a statement about the nebula, which is located about 1,300 light-years away.

The new view from the James Webb Space Telescope shows the illuminated edge of the top of the nebula's dust and gas structure, per NASA.

As for how it came to be, NASA explained that the distinctive cloud of gas and dust "formed from a collapsing interstellar cloud of material" — and the reason why it glows is because "it is illuminated by a nearby hot star."

And while it won't be around forever, astronomers estimate the Horsehead Nebula only has about five million years left before it disintegrates.

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In other NASA news, back in February, the agency announced it was seeking additional  participants who would be willing to live on a fake version of Mars at the organization's Johnson Space Center in Houston for one year, ahead of human exploration of the actual planet in the future.

Celal Gunes/Anadolu Agency/Getty

This is the second of three missions called CHAPEA — a.k.a. Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog.

The latest mission involves four volunteers living in a 1,700-square-foot simulation, called the Mars Dune Alpha, a 3D-printed habitat that includes living quarters, workspaces, a medical station and lounge areas, as well as a galley and food growing stations. 

According to NASA, the area "simulates the challenges of a mission on Mars, including resource limitations, equipment failures, communication delays and other environmental stressors."