Boo! See the universe’s spookiest sights in time for Halloween
Scientific American · Mary Randolph ·
From ghosts to skeletons and even spiders, the cosmos is full of scary surprises
As ghosts, skeletons and spiders roam the streets trick-or-treating on Halloween night, they’ll have cosmic company. Throughout outer space lie stars and galaxies that resemble creepy creatures, spooky skulls and galactic ghouls. And while there’s no candy in outer space (though there is sugar), these colorful images are a treat in and of themselves.
Skeletons and disembodied heads are a hallmark of Halloween, but this phantasmic apparition, called the exposed cranium nebula, lurks above us all year long. Its brainlike appearance stems from the different phases of star death. First, the dying star ejects a bunch of hydrogen, which forms the white outer bubble, then heavier material, which creates the orange “brain” within.
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