Object Analysis

The Tadpole Nebula (IC 410) is an emission nebula located in the constellation Auriga, roughly 12,000 light-years from Earth. It is associated with the open star cluster NGC 1893. The nebula is over 100 light-years across.

The nebula gets its name from two distinct, tadpole-shaped clumps of gas and dust that seem to be swimming towards the center of the nebula. These "tadpoles" are roughly 10 light-years long and are likely sites of ongoing star formation. They are being eroded by the intense radiation and stellar winds from the young stars in NGC 1893.

The cluster NGC 1893 is composed of hot, massive stars that formed from the nebula's material about 4 million years ago. Their radiation causes the surrounding hydrogen gas to fluoresce, creating the glowing backdrop against which the tadpoles are silhouetted.