‘Hand of God’: New telescope images capture rare cosmic phenomenon 1,300 light-years from Earth

Photo: CTIO/ NOIRLab/ DOE/ NSFAURA

What appears to be a ghostly hand reaching across the universe toward a defenseless spiral galaxy in a new telescope image is a rare cosmic phenomenon, according to astronomers, reports CNN, according to G4Media.ro.

The Dark Energy Camera captured a stunning image of the “Hand of God,” a nebula containing dense cosmic dust 1,300 light-years from Earth in the constellation Puppis. The camera is mounted on the Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter telescope at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile.

Comet globules are a type of Bok globules, or dark nebulae. These isolated cosmic clouds are full of dense gas and dust that are surrounded by hot, energetic material. Comet globules are unique because they have extended tails like those seen on comets – but that’s the only comet-like thing about them.

Astronomers still don’t know how cometary globules come to exist in such distinct structures. Historically, scientists have also had a hard time detecting faint clouds.

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