---
title: "Astronomy Picture of the Day: 12/12/13 – War and Peace Nebula"
description: "  [caption id=\"attachment_12115\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"691\"] Image Credit: NASA[/caption]   This stunning picture shows the War and Peace Nebula, otherwise known as NGC 6357. This nebula is located in the constellation Scorpius and is located some 8,000 light-years from Earth.   The Nebula gets its name because, in infrared, the western section resembles a dove and..."
date: "2013-12-12"
modified: "2013-12-12"
authors:
  - name: "Joshua Filmer"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/joshuafqtq"
url: "https://futurism.com/astronomy-picture-of-the-day-121213-war-and-peace-nebula"
categories:
  - "From Quarks to Quasars"
---

# Astronomy Picture of the Day: 12/12/13 – War and Peace Nebula

![](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/67.jpg>)

[![Image Credit: NASA](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/6.jpg>)](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/6.jpg>)
*Image Credit: NASA*

This stunning picture shows the War and Peace Nebula, otherwise known as NGC 6357. This nebula is located in the constellation Scorpius and is located some 8,000 light-years from Earth.

The Nebula gets its name because, in infrared, the western section resembles a dove and the eastern section has the shape of a skull. NGC 6357 is a diffuse nebula and contains many proto-stars.

The open cluster Pismis 24 is located within the nebula; this cluster contains several massive stars. Originally, scientists thought the brightest object in the cluster – called Pismis 24-1 – was the most massive star on record as it was thought to be between 200-300 solar masses. Later surveys showed Primis 24-1 to be a binary system containing two stars, each between 100-150 solar masses.

## Author
Joshua specializes in Mathematics and Physics at Portland State University.