Ultimate Bipolar Nebula
Δημοσιεύτηκε στις 26 Αυγ 2015
From
Hubblecast. A new Hubble Space Telescope image shows off the Twin Jet
Nebula, highlighting the nebula’s shells and its knots of expanding gas
in striking detail. Two iridescent lobes of material stretch outwards
from a central star system. Within these lobes two huge jets of gas are
streaming from the star system at speeds in excess of one million
kilometres per hour.
The glowing and expanding shells of gas
clearly visible in this image represent the final stages of life for an
old star of low to intermediate mass. The star has not only ejected its
outer layers, but the exposed remnant core is now illuminating these
layers — resulting in a spectacular light show like the one seen here.
Ordinary
planetary nebulae have one star at their centre, bipolar nebulae have
two, in a binary star system. Astronomers have found that the two stars
in this pair each have around the same mass as the Sun, ranging from 0.6
to 1.0 solar masses for the smaller star, and from 1.0 to 1.4 solar
masses for its larger companion. The larger star is approaching the end
of its days and has already ejected its outer layers of gas into space,
whereas its partner is further evolved, and is a small white dwarf.
The
characteristic shape of the wings of the Twin Jet Nebula is most likely
caused by the motion of the two central stars around each other. It is
believed that a white dwarf orbits its partner star and thus the ejected
gas from the dying star is pulled into two lobes rather than expanding
as a uniform sphere. The nebula’s wings are still growing and, by
measuring their expansion, astronomers have calculated that the nebula
was created only 1200 years ago.
Within the wings, starting from
the star system and extending horizontally outwards like veins are two
faint blue patches. Although these may seem subtle in comparison to the
nebula’s rainbow colours, these are actually violent twin jets streaming
out into space, at speeds in excess of one million kilometers per hour.
These jets are slowly changing their orientation, precessing across the
lobes as they are pulled by the wayward gravity of the binary system.
Hubblecast. A new Hubble Space Telescope image shows off the Twin Jet
Nebula, highlighting the nebula’s shells and its knots of expanding gas
in striking detail. Two iridescent lobes of material stretch outwards
from a central star system. Within these lobes two huge jets of gas are
streaming from the star system at speeds in excess of one million
kilometres per hour.
The glowing and expanding shells of gas
clearly visible in this image represent the final stages of life for an
old star of low to intermediate mass. The star has not only ejected its
outer layers, but the exposed remnant core is now illuminating these
layers — resulting in a spectacular light show like the one seen here.
Ordinary
planetary nebulae have one star at their centre, bipolar nebulae have
two, in a binary star system. Astronomers have found that the two stars
in this pair each have around the same mass as the Sun, ranging from 0.6
to 1.0 solar masses for the smaller star, and from 1.0 to 1.4 solar
masses for its larger companion. The larger star is approaching the end
of its days and has already ejected its outer layers of gas into space,
whereas its partner is further evolved, and is a small white dwarf.
The
characteristic shape of the wings of the Twin Jet Nebula is most likely
caused by the motion of the two central stars around each other. It is
believed that a white dwarf orbits its partner star and thus the ejected
gas from the dying star is pulled into two lobes rather than expanding
as a uniform sphere. The nebula’s wings are still growing and, by
measuring their expansion, astronomers have calculated that the nebula
was created only 1200 years ago.
Within the wings, starting from
the star system and extending horizontally outwards like veins are two
faint blue patches. Although these may seem subtle in comparison to the
nebula’s rainbow colours, these are actually violent twin jets streaming
out into space, at speeds in excess of one million kilometers per hour.
These jets are slowly changing their orientation, precessing across the
lobes as they are pulled by the wayward gravity of the binary system.
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