Crescent Nebula

The Crescent Nebula (NGC 6888), is an emission nebula located about 5000 light-years from Willingboro and is about 25 light-years across.

It is formed by the fast stellar wind from its central, massive star (Wolf-Rayet star WR 136 (HD 192163)) The star is shedding its outer envelope, ejecting the equivalent of the Sun’s mass every 10,000 years.

The nebula’s complex structures are the result of this strong wind interacting with material ejected in an earlier phase (perhaps 250,000 to 400,000 years ago when the star became a red giant). Since it is burning fuel at a tremendous rate, this star is near the end of its life and will become a supernova in the relatively near future.