NGC 2736

NGC 2736, sometimes called the Pencil Nebula, is an emission nebula in the constellation Vela, which is 815 light-years away from Earth. NGC 2736 is the remnant of a massive explosion of a supernova about 11,000 years ago. This supernova is called the Vela supernova. At the beginning of the explosion they should have lit up 250 times brighter than Venus, and have been expanding at a rate of 40 million kilometers per hour. The speed has slowed down today on 640 000 kilometers per hour.

NGC 2736 was discovered on March 1, 1835 by the British astronomer John Herschel.