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manatee-nebula
Meet the newly named Manatee nebula. Officially known as W50, this cloud of gas and dust is the remnant of a supernova explosion that happened 10,000 years ago in the constellation Aquila.
This image, released and renamed by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory on Jan. 19 to coincide with the Florida Manatee Festival, bears witness to the correspondence that heavenly phenomena sometimes have for more familiar things on Earth. Both the NRAO staff and members of the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge, home to many endangered West Indian manatees, hope to draw attention to the 40th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act with the release. The nebula joins the ranks of other nebulas named for animals, such as the Eagle nebula, Crab nebula, and Horsehead nebula.
But that’s not all. According to a press release from both organizations, manatees have a lot in common with the Manatee nebula, including the fact that:
The cloud is the remnant of a star that is impossible to spot with a common telescope; you need a telescope that can detect the low-energy radio wave light radiated by the nebula’s gases. Manatees can be hard to see in murky shallow waters. Spotters detect their presence by air bubbles and wakes. The nebula bears arc-like scars carved into it by particles blasted from the jets of the exploded star’s remnant, a black hole, at its center. The scars bring to mind the scars many manatees bear from boat propellers that have gotten too close. The nebula took more than 10,000 years to assume its manatee-like shape. Manatees also have a long gestation and infancy period – well, at least compared to other earthly creatures. Gestation lasts 12 to 14 months and infancy, two to five years.Right. Still, that got us thinking: Just how much do all those other nebulas actually resemble their biological namesakes? In this gallery, we take a side-by-side comparison of animal-shaped nebula and their animal doppelgangers. Please let us know which ones are most (or least) deserving of their titles and whether you can think of a better alternative in the comments. Above:
