---
title: "Astronomy Photo of the Day: 2/19/15 — Gum Nebula"
description: "[caption id=\"attachment_36415\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"850\"] Image Credit: Greg Bradley AstroPhotos[/caption] This stunning image glimpses the Gum nebula, Gum 14 and Gum 15, more specifically, two nebulae found around 3,000 light-years from Earth in the Vela constellation. From a previous write up, [box style=\"0\"] Gum 15 is just as obscure as it is beautiful. From within the gaseous..."
date: "2015-02-19"
modified: "2015-02-19"
authors:
  - name: "Jaime Trosper"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jaimefqtq"
url: "https://futurism.com/apotd-gum-nebula"
categories:
  - "From Quarks to Quasars"
---

# Astronomy Photo of the Day: 2/19/15 — Gum Nebula

![](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Gum-14-and-Gum-15.jpg>)

[![Gum 14 and Gum 15](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Gum-14-and-Gum-15.jpg>)](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Gum-14-and-Gum-15.jpg>)
*Image Credit: Greg Bradley AstroPhotos*

This stunning image glimpses the Gum nebula, Gum 14 and Gum 15, more specifically, two nebulae found around 3,000 light-years from Earth in the Vela constellation. From a previous write up,

Gum 15 is just as obscure as it is beautiful. From within the gaseous walls of this interstellar home, hundreds of newly-born stars are being forged, all incredibly hot and even more energetic. We are witnessing this stellar nursery at a crucial tipping point in its evolution *(thanks, in part, to the [ESO’s Cosmic Gems](<http://www.eso.org/public/outreach/gems.html>) program*) because, as each individual star emerges from its stellar cocoon, it tears away at its home piece-by-piece, until eventually, there will be nothing left.

This image gives us a detailed look at the contrasting shades of black and pink. The latter comes from a series of partially ionized clouds *([H11 regions](<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H_II_region>))*, while the latter color comes from filaments of coarse interstellar dust grains, making up [dark nebulae](<https://futurism.com/classifications-of-objects-in-space-part-4-dark-nebulae>).

Also within the vicinity of the Gum nebulae is NGC 2626: a small reflection nebula that lurks along the border of the Vela and Puppis constellations. They, in turn, belong to the [RCW 27 complex](<http://galaxymap.org/drupal/node/76>).

## Author
Jaime is a freelance writer, who finds great joy in sharing the wonders of universe with others. She used this passion to launch "From Quarks to Quasars" in 2012.