images

NGC 2359 nebula in Canis Major

by

R.Gendler/Novapix

Reference

a-neb23-59002

Date

2008-01-16

NGC 2359 (Thor's Helmet) is a prototypical wind blown bubble powered by the extremely massive and unstable Wolf-Rayet star HD 56925. These types of stars (only about 300 are known presently) represent a late evolutionary phase of massive O-type blue giants which have become unstable in the late stages of their short stellar life.