Blue Ring Nebula

Blue Ring Nebula
Nebula
	Composite image of the Blue Ring Nebula.
Observation data: J2000 epoch
Right ascension	16h 48m 37.41s
Declination	+35° 12' 09.44"
Distance	6,300 ly
Constellation	Hercules
	See also: Lists of nebulae

The Blue Ring Nebula is a cosmic object located approximately 6,300 light years away in the constellation Hercules. It was formed when two stars merged, creating a debris cloud that eventually cooled down and produced hydrogen molecules that collided with the interstellar medium. The collisions made the molecules radiate far-ultraviolet light, allowing GALEX to discover the object in 2004. The merging of the two stars resulted into a new star designated as TYC 2597-735-1.

References

↑ "TYC 2597-735-1". SIMBAD. CDS. Retrieved 3 August 2026.
↑ "Blue Ring Nebula". GALEX. Caltech. Retrieved 3 August 2026.
↑ "The Blue Ring Nebula". NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. NASA. Retrieved 3 August 2026.
↑ Günther, Hans Moritz; Hoadley, Keri; Günther, Maximilian N.; Metzger, Brian D.; Schneider, P. C.; Shen, Ken J. (April 2022). "X-Ray Emission from Candidate Stellar Merger Remnant TYC 2597-735-1 and Its Blue Ring Nebula". The Astronomical Journal. 163 (4): 173. arXiv:2202.05424. Bibcode:2022AJ....163..173G. doi:10.3847/1538-3881/ac54a2.
↑ "The dazzling Blue Ring Nebula puzzled scientists for 16 years — and now they finally understand why". Space.com. Future plc. 18 November 2020. Retrieved 3 August 2026.

[1] "TYC 2597-735-1". SIMBAD. CDS. Retrieved 3 August 2026.

[2] "Blue Ring Nebula". GALEX. Caltech. Retrieved 3 August 2026.

[3] "The Blue Ring Nebula". NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. NASA. Retrieved 3 August 2026.

[4] Günther, Hans Moritz; Hoadley, Keri; Günther, Maximilian N.; Metzger, Brian D.; Schneider, P. C.; Shen, Ken J. (April 2022). "X-Ray Emission from Candidate Stellar Merger Remnant TYC 2597-735-1 and Its Blue Ring Nebula". The Astronomical Journal. 163 (4): 173. arXiv:2202.05424. Bibcode:2022AJ....163..173G. doi:10.3847/1538-3881/ac54a2.

[5] "The dazzling Blue Ring Nebula puzzled scientists for 16 years — and now they finally understand why". Space.com. Future plc. 18 November 2020. Retrieved 3 August 2026.