There's an iconic cosmic enigma that will most definitely blow you away. This enigma is the 'God's Hand' and thanks to the National Science Foundation's (NSF) NOIRLab, we are now seeing it in a completely new light.
A ghostly hand appears to be emerging from the interstellar medium and reaching out into the cosmos. This cloudy, ominous structure is CG 4, a cometary globule. 🧵⬇️https://t.co/ZdkGTRtoKk pic.twitter.com/esjqvgdQmc — NOIRLab (@NOIRLabAstro) May 6, 2024
Formally called CG 4, it is a cloudy and ominous structure in space, has earned the nickname "God's Hand." It's one of many cometary globules found within our Milky Way galaxy. These globules have a unique shape that's still puzzling astronomers.
Recently, a new image of CG 4 was taken using the Dark Energy Camera, made by the Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope at the Chile-based Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory. This observatory is part of the National Science Foundation's NOIRLab program.
What makes CG 4 stand out as a cometary globule are its distinct features. It has a dusty head and a long, faint tail, resembling the appearance of a comet, even though they're not related. Astronomers think that the shape of cometary globules like CG 4 might be influenced by the strong winds from nearby hot, massive stars.
According to NOIRLab, the 'God's Hand' lies about 1,200 light-years away. Its head is about 1.5 light-years in diameter and the extending hand-like feature is about 8 light-years long. The red glow of this star-forming region, astronomers say, is a result of emission from ionised hydrogen.
Cometary globules are intriguing to scientists because they offer insights into the processes happening in the universe. By studying them, astronomers hope to better understand how stars form and evolve.
ALSO SEE: NASA's Webb Telescope Captures Sharpest Ever Infrared Image Of Iconic Horsehead Nebula
