Hold the cosmos in your hands.
Before the days of high-speed internet, the best way to see the latest robotic exploration images from the Viking and Voyager missions was to write to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and ask for a press packet. We've recreated that thrilling, tactile experience with our exclusive line of high-quality physical photo prints.
This 8.5" x 11" print features NGC 6888 - The Crescent Nebula. Located about 5,000 light-years away in the constellation Cygnus, the Crescent Nebula is a stunning cosmic bubble blown into space by a massive, highly unstable star known as a Wolf-Rayet star (WR 136). This blazing-hot central star is shedding its outer layers at a furious pace! It is firing off a blistering, high-speed stellar wind that is actively crashing into the slower-moving gas the star puffed off hundreds of thousands of years ago when it was a red giant. This violent, high-speed collision creates a massive shockwave, compressing the gas into the intricate, glowing "brain-like" structure you see here. Eventually, this star will end its life in a spectacular supernova explosion! Produced on premium one-sided gloss paper, this piece delivers stunning clarity and vibrant colors on the front.
On the reverse side, you'll find an engaging scientific description of this cosmic bubble ready to pop, along with the exact Bracken Observatory equipment and exposure specs used to capture the shot—including 9 hours and 51 minutes of total exposure time using our RASA 11" telescope—just like the classic JPL media packets of the 1980s.
Whether you're an educator looking for engaging classroom materials, a parent sharing the wonders of the universe with your kids, or an astronomy enthusiast wanting a beautiful physical print to frame, this is the perfect way to experience the cosmos away from a screen.
Product Details:
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Dimensions: 8.5" x 11" (Standard Letter Size)
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Material: Premium one-sided gloss photo paper
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Features: High-resolution image on the front; science facts, shot specs, and an interactive QR code to the online showroom on the back
🔭 From the Desk of Paul Bracken:
"The Crescent Nebula tells such a violent, spectacular story. You are literally looking at a massive, highly unstable star tearing itself apart and blowing a giant bubble in space before it eventually goes supernova. To capture all of that faint, outer 'brain-like' structure, we had to point the RASA 11 at it for nearly 10 hours. Holding this print lets you trace those intricate shockwaves up close. It's a breathtaking piece of astrophysics that looks incredible on glossy paper."
