Media Information
 
 
 
Collection:
NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day Collection
Title:
AFGL 2591: A Massive Star Acts Up
Explanation:
Young star AFGL 2591 is putting on a show. The massive star is expelling outer layers of dust [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…]-laced gas as gravity pulls inner material toward the surface. AFGL 2591 [ http://adsabs.harva…] is estimated to be about one million years old -- much younger than our own Sun [ http://www.nineplan…]'s 5 billion-year age -- and has created a nebula over 500 times the diameter of our Solar System [ http://www.nineplan…] in just the past 10,000 years. The above image [ http://www.gemini.e…] in infrared light [ http://www.ipac.cal…] is one of the first from the new NIRI instrument [ http://www.gemini.e…] mounted on one of the largest ground-based optical telescopes [ http://www.seds.org…] in the world: Gemini North [ http://www.gemini.e…]. Sharp details are discernable that are blocked by opaque dust [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] in visible-light [ http://imagine.gsfc…] images. Close inspection of the image [ http://www.gemini.e…] reveals at least four expanding rings, indicating an episodic origin to the mysterious activity. AFGL 2591 lies about 3000 light years [ http://chandra.harv…] away toward the constellation [ http://www.att.virt…] of Cygnus [ http://www.allthesk…].
Credit and Copyright:
C. Aspin [ http://www.gemini.e…] et al. [ http://www.gemini.e…], NIRI [ http://kupono.ifa.h…], Gemini Obs. [ http://www.gemini.e…], NSF [ http://www.nsf.gov/]
keyword:
star formation
keyword:
dust
keyword:
AFGL 2591
facet_where:
Hawaii
facet_where:
Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)
facet_where:
Washington, D.C.
facet_what:
Sun
facet_what:
Gemini
facet_what:
Cygnus
facet_what:
Advanced Communication Technology Satellite (ACTS)
original url:
http://antwrp.gsfc.…
UID:
SPD-APOD-ap010829

AFGL 2591: A Massive Star Acts Up
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