PHANTOM STAR Acrylic on Canvas 12 x 12 x 1.5 in (30.5 x 30.5 x 1.8 cm) $500.00

A dying star at Caldwell 109's heart shed its outer layers, creating a shell of gas around the star. The artis created this mixed media piece to give layers to the process in which one finds themself in when releasing what does not serve them.

Image from NASA/ESA

The final item in the Caldwell catalog, Caldwell 109 resembles a phantom snowball. The glowing shroud of gas was shed by its central star in a final act before dying. Like all stars, the one in the middle of this nebula spent its life participating in a precarious balance act, with the outward pressure generated by nuclear fusion countered by the inward pull of gravity. During most of the star’s lifetime the two held an uneasy truce, making the star a giant, controlled nuclear bomb. Planetary Nebula - An expanding shell of gas around an aging or dying Sun-like star, cast off by the star.

Located in the Chamaeleon Constellation:

There is no mythology associated with the Chameleon. The constellation is located so far south that it was not visible to the ancient Greeks or Romans. It represents a chameleon, a type of lizard with the ability to change colors. It is one of twelve constellations created by the Dutch astronomer Petrus Plancius based on observations made by Dutch navigators. It first appeared on a celestial globe published by Plancius in 1597. It was later included Johann Bayer’s star atlas in 1603. It was depicted as a chameleon sticking its tongue out to catch the fly represented by the neighboring constellation Musca.

Galatic Location: Chamaeleon Constellation

Celestial Phenomenon: Cadwell 109

Collection: 88 Constellations