Cosmic Avenger
Before he joins the Avengers , Thor may need to retrieve his helmet—which is floating in space 15,000 light-years away.
Also known as NGC 2359, Thor’s Helmet is a nebula found in the constellation Canis Major. As seen in this recently released picture from the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile, the cosmic cloud of dust and gas is being shaped like a winged helm by outpourings of radiation from the massive stars inside.
Image courtesy SSRO/PROMPT/CTIO
Into the Sword of Orion
Distance: 1500 Light Years
Image Copyright Robert Gendler 2006
The region of Orion and Monoceros has unique importance as one of the great regions of active star formation in our galaxy.
Its proximity and favorable position in the sky have made this one of the most extensively studied regions in the Milky Way.
