Nebulae
WR 136 - the Star behind the Crescent Nebula
July 13, 2000 · ESA/Hubble · Crescent Nebula , IRAS 20102+3812 , WR 136 · Cygnus
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WR 136 created this web of luminous material during the late stages of its life. As a bloated, red super-giant, WR 136 gently puffed away some of its bulk, which settled around it. When the star passed from a super-giant to a Wolf-Rayet, it developed a fierce stellar wind - a stream of charged particles released from its surface - and began expelling mass at a furious rate.
