Crescent Nebula NGC 6888

The Crescent Nebula, NGC 6888, is a cosmic bubble blown by the powerful stellar winds of a Wolf Rayet star, WR 136, located 5000 light years away in Cygnus. This rare type of star has shed its outer hydrogen layers, exposing its helium core and generating winds traveling 4 million mph, so fast they slam into previously ejected material, creating shock waves that heat and illuminate the gas. The nebulas distinctive crescent shape spans about 25 light years and formed over 250000 years. Wolf Rayet stars are in their death throes, burning through their remaining fuel at a furious rate. WR 136 will likely explode as a supernova within the next 100000 years, adding its enriched elements back to the cosmos.