Two-faced nebula is half light, half dark

Astronomers have captured a new photo of a two-faced nebula that appears dark on one side and bright on the other.

The new photo shows a striking view of the nebula, which is a gathering of gas, dust and stars about 22,000 light-years away from Earth. The little-known celestial object, called Gum 19, is illuminated by an extremely huge, hot star called V391 Velorum.

The surface temperature of this star is a scorching 54,000 degrees Fahrenheit (30,000 degrees Celsius). It gives off mostly blue light, and its brightness can fluctuate wildly as a result of its dynamic nature and ejections of outer layers of gas.