Description:
NGC 2736, commonly known as the Pencil Nebula, is a striking filamentary nebula located in the constellation Vela, about 800–1,000 light-years from Earth. It is part of the Vela Supernova Remnant, the expanding debris of a massive star that exploded roughly 11,000 years ago.
The nebula’s thin, elongated appearance comes from a shock wave where the supernova blast front collides with denser regions of interstellar gas.
This interaction excites the gas, causing it to glow strongly in hydrogen-alpha and oxygen, which gives the Pencil Nebula its delicate, high-contrast structure in astrophotography.
NGC 2736 is a vivid example of how supernovae reshape the interstellar medium, compressing, heating, and enriching it with heavy elements that will eventually contribute to future generations of stars.