Object Analysis

The Eskimo Nebula (NGC 2392), also known as the Clown Face Nebula, is a planetary nebula in the constellation Gemini. It was discovered by William Herschel in 1787. The formation resembles a person's head surrounded by a parka hood.

The "face" is a bubble of material being blown into space by the central star's intense wind. The "parka hood" is actually a disk of material containing many comet-like objects with tails streaming away from the central star. These knots are formed by the collision of fast and slow winds.

The nebula is roughly 2,870 light-years away. The central star is an O-type star that is collapsing into a white dwarf. It is currently one of the hottest stars known, with a surface temperature of around 40,000 degrees Celsius.