Huge waves are sculpted in this two-lobed nebula some 3000 light-years away in the constellation of Sagittarius. This warm planetary nebula harbours one of the hottest stars known and its powerful stellar winds generate waves 100 billion kilometres high. The waves are caused by supersonic shocks, formed when the local gas is compressed and heated in front of the rapidly expanding lobes. The atoms caught in the shock emit the spectacular radiation seen in this image.
Grandmother
The kids are running amok
Scared of every twig snap
Every flickering shadow
They’d set the jungle on fire
Just so that they would never
Fear of darkness again
Grandmother
Take all your kids back home
Before one cuts off the branch
We are all growing on
