Witch's head to God's eye: 12 of the spookiest objects in the universe

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A malevolent , screaming skull expression . A witch cackling in visibility . An all - see to it eye , stare red and furious from the cosmic depths . blank can be as terrifying as it is beautiful . From nebulas — vast regions of gas and dust crystalise by starlight and sculpture by stellar radiotherapy — to aloof extragalactic nebula beckon us into the void with their spiraling arms and monstrous black hole , here are 12 of our favorite spooky images from around the universe .

1. Ghostly ‘Pillars of Creation’

Like shadow gliding through the sky , the clouds of dust that make up the iconic “ Pillars of Creation ” surge and ooze in this eerieJames Webb Space Telescope(JWST ) paradigm . The Pillars are a spectacular feature film of the Eagle Nebula , locate about 6,500 clean - geezerhood from Earth . These spire of junk are a snack counter of star - spring material — and you could spot some of the area ’s youngest stars glowing in blue light near the tips of the pillars . The ghostly chromaticity in this image comes from a compounding of JWST ’s Mid - Infrared Instrument and Near - Infrared Camera , which give away wavelengths of light commonly inconspicuous to the human centre .

2. Witch Head Nebula

TheWitch Head Nebula , officially known as IC 2118 , is located in the configuration Orion about 900 light - years from Earth . Illuminated by the gargantuan blasphemous star Rigel , this enchanted grim nebula looks like the silhouette of a cackling infinite crone in the midst of some cosmic incantations .

3. Skull and Crossbones Nebula

Despite its decrepit visual aspect , NGC 2467 , better known as theSkull and Crossbones Nebula , is a starring nursery bursting with babe wizard formation . Two turgid star clusters stare out of the skull ’s " eye sockets , " giving the nebula its forbidding tone . Keeping with the high - seas radical , the Skull and Crossbones nebula endure in the configuration Puppis , or " the turd deck , " near the Perseus Arm of theMilky Way .

Related : The 7 most terrific thing in space

4. Eye of God Nebula

Staring like the unblinking eye of God ( or the eye of Sauron , reckon on your literary sense of taste ) the Helix Nebula is an infamously spooky object that has trance uranologist for 200 years . Located 700 light - years away in the configuration Aquarius , the nebula is the result of a beat superstar shower infrared light onto a coccoon of dust . Related:12 trippy objects hidden in the zodiac

5. The Phantom Galaxy

Galaxy M74 , also called thePhantom Galaxy , look like an otherworldly void in this haunting JWST image . In fact , it is a spiral coltsfoot much like our ownMilky Way — and just happens to be in Earth ’s line of passel , make it a pop target for astronomers . JWST ’s neat eye evince how intricate filament of gas lace together to form grand volute limb , beckoning viewers toward the seething lead cluster at the galaxy ’s center .

6. Little Ghost Nebula

Wispy and swoon , The Little Ghost Nebula(NGC 6369 ) is a monument to prima death . clear up by the pall spirit of a livid dwarf star ( the smoldering stubble of a once - mighty star that has finish its nucelar nuclear fusion reaction ) , the fire at the center of this nebula is slowly dimming , and will one day go away altogether .

7. Hand of God Nebula

The ominousHand of God Nebula(PSR B1509 - 58 ) is a window into the astral afterlife . After exploding in a violent supernova , the star topology at the center of this nebula collapse into a pulsar , or a compact , ultrafast - spinning stellar corpse that constantly rack up a wind of particles into the gas and dust around it .

8. Tarantula Nebula

Creepy and spindly , the Tarantula Nebula ( 30 Doradus ) is the bright and biggest region of star formation in the grouping of galaxies closest to the Milky Way . If you find its byname unfitting , search a little bass . A mother tarantula ’s brood can curb thou of eggs ; this nebula ’s nursery arrest hundreds of thousand of immature superstar .

Related:35 jaw - dropping James Webb Space Telescope visualize

9. Skull Nebula (NGC 246)

Located 1,600 light - years away , the Skull Nebula ( NGC 246 ) is a popular target for astronomers , and not just on Halloween . Within the spooky crimson skull is a somewhat rare three-fold whiz system , made of two intimately - bind virtuoso and a third star orbiting the others from afar .

10. Black Widow Nebula

The Black Widow Nebula creep through space with an eery balance . The nebula ’s three-fold - lob appearance comes from a group of stars at its centre , producing vivid outflows of radiation in opposite directions at the same clip .

11. Cosmic Keyhole (NGC 1999)

The Cosmic Keyhole ( NGC 1999 ) is perhaps the shivery nebula of all . At its midpoint sit a young star topology surround by an inexplicably empty hole ; how the vast rift in space was created , and what could mill about beyond it , stay on a mystery .

12. Pac-Man Nebula

The Pac - Man Nebula ( NGC 281 ) glow like a cosmic jack - o - lantern 6,500 light - years from Earth . place high above the crowded sheet of the Milky Way , this nebula sits in patent view for curious astronomers , exhibit off its smoldering face like a pumpkin on a porch .

This infrared image from NASA�s Spitzer Space Telescope shows the Helix nebula, a cosmic starlet often photographed by amateur astronomers for its vivid colours and resemblance to a giant eye. An optimised and digitally enhanced version of a NASA/ ESA image.

Witch head nebula.

Ghostly pillars of dust in the Eagle Nebula

Witch head nebula.

As the name implies, this reflection nebula associated with the star Rigel looks suspiciously like a fairytale crone. Formally known as IC 2118 in the constellation Orion, the Witch Head Nebula glows primarily by light reflected from the star.

Witch head nebula.

Image of the Skull and Crossbones Nebula.

The James Webb Space Telescope’s view of the heart of the Phantom Galaxy (M74). It is in a spiral pattern.

The Little ghost nebula’s main round structure is about a light-year across and the glow from ionized oxygen, hydrogen, and nitrogen atoms are colored blue, green, and red respectively.

Little ghost nebula.

Hand of God nebula.

In this mosaic image stretching 340 light-years across, Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) displays the Tarantula Nebula star-forming region in a new light, including tens of thousands of never-before-seen young stars that were previously shrouded in cosmic dust. The most active region appears to sparkle with massive young stars, appearing pale blue.

Tarantula nebula.

The Rosette Nebula in Monoceros. FOV is approximately 2.5x3 degrees.

Skull nebula.

In this Spitzer Space Telescope image, the two opposing bubbles are being formed in opposite directions by the powerful outflows from massive groups of forming stars. The baby stars can be seen as specks of yellow where the two bubbles overlap.

Black widow nebula.

This peculiar portrait from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope showcases NGC 1999, a reflection nebula in the constellation Orion. NGC 1999 is around 1350 light-years from Earth and lies near to the Orion Nebula, the closest region of massive star formation to Earth. NGC 1999 itself is a relic of recent star formation — it is composed of detritus left over from the formation of a newborn star.

Cosmic keyhole.

NASA Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer observed the star-forming cloud NGC 281 in the constellation of Cassiopeia as it appears to be chomping through the cosmos, earning it the nickname the Pac-man nebula.