NASA Tweets Tribute For Music Icon Prince

First Posted: Apr 23, 2016 06:13 AM EDT
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Yet another inspiring person left this earth, and NASA, as a form of tribute, posted a gorgeous image of a purple nebula -- in reference to his most famous album, Purple Rain.

The purple nebula was actually a composite view of the Crab Nebula that was taken by the Hubble Space Telescope and the European Space Agency's Herchel Space Observatory. According to Space.com, the Crab Nebula lies about 6,500 light-years away from earth, and is the remnant of a supernova -- a structure that was left after the explosion of a star. These types of stars burn very bright but die incredibly young, which makes the tribute more apt in Prince's case.

The musician, who died at only 57, was lauded as one of the most talented and influential of his generation. As fans mourned the loss of a person who defined an entire genre, however, questions rose regarding his death -- the icon was found unresponsive in an elevator at his home and recording studio at Paisley Park in Chanhassen, Minnesota. Official autopsy results will not be released until complete and all results are obtained by the medical examiner, although CNN reported that there were no obvious signs of trauma, and there is no reason to believe that the death is by suicide.

Fans of the star, whose real name is Prince Rogers Nelson, gathered at Paisley Park following his death, with flowers, balloons, and signs to show respect for their idol.

The cast of the Broadway musical "The Color Purple" also paid an emotional tribute at the end of their performance Thursday night, singing "Purple Rain" to the audience, who waved their arms and sang the refrain.

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