Out of this world: Space agency’s bouquet for Women’s Day

A gift from orbit / Photo: Roscosmos Telegram channel, Nikolay Vdovin

Russia’s space agency published images of unusual «cosmic flowers» on its Telegram channel to mark International Women’s Day.

The photographs, captured by astrophotographers, show massive nebulae located thousands of light-years from Earth. One of the images features the Tulip Nebula, a glowing cloud of hydrogen gas in the Cygnus constellation.

According to the authors of the post, these cosmic formations resemble flowers because of their shape and color. Radiation from hot, young stars excites surrounding hydrogen gas, causing it to emit bright pink light.

Scientists note that although the structures appear delicate, they are the result of powerful cosmic processes.

«Where we see graceful petals, powerful processes of gravitational compression and the formation of new stellar systems are taking place,» the authors wrote.

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