Object Analysis

The Lion's Nebula (Sh2-132) is a faint emission nebula located in the constellation Cepheus. It lies at a distance of roughly 10,000 light-years in the Perseus Arm of the Milky Way. It is composed primarily of ionized hydrogen and oxygen gases.

The nebula gets its name from its resemblance to the head and mane of a lion in wide-field images. The "mane" is formed by complex filaments of gas that are being blown and sculpted by the powerful stellar winds from massive Wolf-Rayet stars embedded within the cloud.

Specifically, the stars WR 153ab and WR 152 are responsible for the ionization of the region. These stars are in the final stages of their lives and are shedding mass at an incredible rate, creating the bubbles and arcs seen in the nebula.