Scientifically called CG 4, the “Hand of God” is a captivating celestial phenomenon located approximately 1,300 light-years away from Earth, in the constellation Puppis, within the Milky Way galaxy.
This fascinating object is part of the cometary globule class, a challenging category to detect among Bok globules, which are dense clouds of gas and dust surrounded by hot, ionized material.
Although the name may suggest a direct connection to comets, cometary globules like CG 4 do not have a relationship with these celestial bodies. The name comes from the fact that they have a structure similar to the tail of a comet, the result of the dragging of material that creates this distinct appearance.
Origin of the structure of blood cells is unknown
The exact origin of the structure of cometary globules is still a mystery to scientists. Some theories suggest that it may be shaped by stellar winds from nearby massive stars or even by supernovae resulting from the explosive demise of those stars.
CG 4 stands out for its characteristic tail, a faint expanse of gas and dust eight light years long with a tip 1.5 light years wide. This characteristic is notable in the images captured by the Dark Energy Camera (DECam), an instrument installed on the 4-meter Victor M. Blanco Telescope, at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, located 2,200 meters above sea level in Chile.
These images are shedding light on the mystery of cometary globules and contributing to our understanding of the formation of the Bok nebulae.
Bok nebulae such as CG 4 remained hidden until the 1970s due to their dim luminosity and the cover of stardust that obscured their tails.
To capture clear images of these objects, DECam uses a hydrogen-alpha filter that reveals the ionized gas. This provides images where the red glow of hydrogen within CG 4 is visible, outlining its peculiar shape.
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Galaxy is more than 100 million light years away from the ‘cosmic claw’
The lobster claw appearance of CG 4 toward the spiral galaxy ESO 257-19, although it appears to be motion capture, is merely an illusion of perspective. The galaxy is safely located at a distance of approximately 100 million light years from GC 4.
Even if it were closer, the galaxy would be beyond the reach of CG 4’s grasp because the same radiation that creates its distinctive appearance also contributes to its gradual dissipation. However, inside the globule there is still enough material to form new stars.
These cometary globules are mainly located in the Gum Nebula, also known as “Gum 12,” about 1,400 light-years away. This nebula is believed to be the residue of a supernova explosion that occurred about a million years ago.
The complexity of these celestial phenomena continues to intrigue scientists, who explore various theories to explain their origin and evolution in the vast cosmic scenario.
