In the immensity of cosmic space, about 1,300 light years from Earth, in the constellation of Poppa, lies a vision as mysterious as it is fascinating. This is the Gum Nebula, which contains the structure known as CG 4, where stars originate, nicknamed “the Hand of God“. Anyone who has seen her has no doubts as to why she was given this suggestive nickname. A spectacular image was captured by the Dark Energy Camera (DECam), mounted on the Victor M. Blanco telescope at NOIRLab’s Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory.
The Origin and Structure of CG 4, a Bok globule
The CG 4 it’s a cometary globulea subclass of dark nebulae also known as Bok globules. They are isolated clusters of cosmic gas and dense dust, surrounded by hot ionized material. The globule has a dusty head, about 1.5 light years in diameter, and a long, thin tail that extends for 8 light years.
This particular globule was first discovered in 1976 thanks to images taken by the Schmidt Telescope. Its distinctive shape and unique positioning have long remained a mystery to astronomers, due to its weak brightness. The globule’s tail, shrouded in dark stardust, blocks most of the light that passes through it. However, thanks to DECam’s special Hydrogen-alpha filter, it is possible to detect the faint red glow of ionized hydrogen present in the head of CG 4 and around its outer edge.
The “Hand of God” Phenomenon of the Gum Nebula
The name “Hand of God” derives from the phantasmagoric appearance of one hand which seems to emerge from the mass of interstellar material and reach the outside of the cosmos. The vision was made possible thanks to the unique capabilities of the Dark Energy Camerawhich allows you to observe details otherwise invisible to the human eye and less advanced telescopes.
The image captures not only the structure of the globule, but also the dynamic interaction with radiation emitted by nearby massive stars, which is gradually eroding the globule’s head and sweeping away the tiny particles that scatter the starlight. Despite the intense radiationCG 4 still contains enough gas to fuel the active formation of several new stars similar in size to Sun.
Another fascinating aspect of the CG 4 image is the presence of the spiral galaxy ESO 257-19 (PGC 21338), which seems threatened by the profile of the giant hand. However, this galaxy lies more than a hundred million light-years beyond CG 4, appearing close only due to random alignment.
Why “the Hand of God” in Space is being studied
The image of CG 4, or “the Hand of God” is not only a stunning reminder of the complexity and beauty of the universe. It is in fact an excellent opportunity to study how the interstellar matter it manages to form new stars and create extraordinary structures. Continuous observations and in-depth studies will continue to illuminate their secrets wonderful cosmic creations.
Astronomers have developed two main theories regarding the origin of the distinctive shapes of the cometary globules. The first hypothesis suggests that these objects may have originally been spherical nebulae, which were then disrupted by an explosion of a super magnetic star close. The second theory proposes that cometary globules are shaped by a combination of stellar winds and radiation from nearby massive stars.
