The Lobster Nebula - also known as NGC 6357 - is an active star-forming region filled with cosmic gas and dust and newborn stars.
It’s 400 lightyears wide and is located 8,000 lightyears away in the Scorpius constellation.
While many astronomers see a lobster shape formed by the cosmic clouds of NGC 6357 - hence its nickname - others see a skull and a dove, leading to the nebula’s other nickname: the War and Peace Nebula.
NGC 6357 is often photographed along with NGC 6334, which is known as the Cat’s Paw nebula because its 3-lobed shape resembles a feline footprint.
Indeed, both easily fall under the category of nebulae that look like animals.
The Lobster Nebula region is home to star cluster Pismis 24, which contains some of the most massive known stars in our home galaxy.
For advice on photographing a nebula, read our guide to deep-sky astrophotography or discover our pick of the best astrophotography cameras.
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