The Giant Squid Nebula and More Animals of the Cosmos
As galaxies collide and new stars are born, spectacular shapes form in the universe—and many of them resemble Earthly creatures.
If you can't get enough of the animals here on Earth, just look toward the heavens. There you will find eagles, elephants, whales, and more—as long as you have a powerful telescope and an even more powerful imagination.
Astronomers have long named galaxies, nebulae, and other astronomical phenomena for the animals they resemble when observed from Earth. Now these animal look-alikes, comprised of stars and stardust, number in the dozens. Nebulae alone, for example, represent at least 20 animals, from giant squid to "running" chickens.
"These are the objects that really capture people’s imaginations," says Karen Masters, associate professor of astronomy at Haverford College. "It’s human nature to see familiar things in the unfamiliar." (See an epic picture
