Behold the Space Chicken
(CBS) - Take a tour of the beautiful Lambda Centauri nebula, also known as IC 2944, also known as the "Space Chicken." This nebula of hydrogen and infant star systems sits roughly 6,500-lightyears from Earth. With the magic of modern technology, this video gets you there in about 40 seconds. How much time you spend trying to see the space chicken is entirely up to you. Do you see it?
Similar to shapes in clouds, some people see a chicken in pictures of this bright, red star-forming region, which led to the nebula's unusual nickname. According to astronomers at the European Southern Observatory (ESO), there is some disagreement over which part of the nebula is shaped like a chicken, since different birdlike features can sometimes be seen elsewhere.
See it now? No? There's the beak pointing down. The feathery body is to the left. Still no? Well, even if you can't, rest easy knowing there is a giant space chicken looking down on all of us. Let's hope it doesn't lay any eggs.