The image below is of Herbig-Haro object 24 taken by the Hubble Space Telescope in infrared light. Herbig-Haro objects are small patches of nebulosity associated with newly born stars. They are formed when thin jets of gas ejected by younger stars collide with clouds of dust and gas. Herbig-Haro objects are everywhere in star-forming regions and many form aorund a single star. Because of the rarity of them, astronomers estimate they only last a few thousand years. The star forming region is located 1,500 light years away from Earth in the Orion B molecular cloud complex. The jet in HH24 contains electrons and protons moving at hundreds of kilometers per second and it is studied to better understand young stellar objects (stars in the earliest stages of development). The dust and gas that encircles these baby stars often contribute to the formation of powerful jets.
No comments:
Post a Comment