This is a picture of nebula IC4628, also called Gum 56 (after Colin Stanley Gum), or The Prawn Nebula. It is located in the tail of the constellation Scorpius. Giant stars that are close to the nebula form the glow in the picture by stripping electrons from atoms with their strong heat. As the separated electrons attach back to the atoms, they produce the glow. The entire galaxy is 6,000 light years across, but this picture represents about 250 light years.
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