Why does the center of this Helix Nebula look like it is a break in the dark matter of space that leads to blue sky?
by 
Mrs.Dufresne rediscovers Alana Davis
ANSWERS: 2
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Most photos of nebulae etc are in false colour. They are captured by electronic cameras whose frequency response is not the same as that of the human eye. The colours have been chosen to maximise visible detail (and probably also to make it look pretty). of course, colur relationships are retained - blue represents higher frequencise that yellow which are higher again than red. The plue area in this picture is therfore either hotter than the rest (it is the centre of the explosion) or approaching us fast (it is the bit of the explosion coming towards us). Or both. or some other reason, perhaps involving accelerated electrons...
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Hello Mrs. D! Great question! I see what you mean, and I included a video showing it in more detail. The colors we see are a result of the different gases, and their densities. As you can see, stars are on the other side of the "blue sky" , though, you did make me wonder if it was a portal to another galaxy! :)
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