Object Analysis

The Red Square Nebula (MWC 922) is a bipolar nebula located in the constellation Serpens. It is famous for its almost perfectly square shape in high-resolution images. This geometric precision is extremely rare in nature and is the result of seeing a bipolar cone-shaped nebula exactly from the side.

The square is formed by the intersection of two cones of gas being ejected from the central star. Because our line of sight is perpendicular to the axis of these cones, the edges appear as straight lines, forming a "cross" or square pattern. This is a more extreme version of the geometry seen in the Red Rectangle Nebula.

The central star is a hot, luminous star that is shedding mass rapidly. The symmetry of the nebula suggests that the star is rotating very steadily or has a very stable companion star. It is located roughly 5,000 light-years away and remains one of the most aesthetically pleasing "orderly" objects in a chaotic universe.