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Collection:
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NASA Spitzer Space Telescope Collection
Collection
NASA Spitzer Space Telescope Collection
Collection
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Title:
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HH46/47
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Description:
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This image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope transforms a dark cloud into a silky translucent veil, revealing the molecular outflow from an otherwise hidden newborn star. Using near-infrared light, Spitzer pierces through the dark cloud to detect the embedded outflow in an object called HH 46/47. Herbig-Haro (HH) objects are bright, nebulous regions of gas and dust that are usually buried within dark clouds. They are formed when supersonic gas ejected from a forming protostar, or embryonic star, interacts with the surrounding interstellar medium. These young stars are often detected only in the infrared.
The Spitzer image was obtained with the infrared array camera. Emission at 3.6 microns is shown as blue, emission from 4.5 and 5.8 microns has been combined as green, and 8.0 micron emission is depicted as red.
HH 46/47 is a striking example of a low mass protostar ejecting a jet and creating a bipolar, or two-sided, outflow. The central protostar lies inside a dark cloud (known as a 'Bok globule') which is illuminated by the nearby Gum Nebula. Located at a distance of 1140 light-years and found in the constellation Vela, the protostar is hidden from view in the visible-light image (inset). With Spitzer, the star and its dazzling jets of molecular gas appear with clarity.
The 8-micron channel of the infrared array camera is sensitive to emission from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. These organic molecules, comprised of carbon and hydrogen, are excited by the surrounding radiation field and become luminescent, accounting for the reddish cloud. Note that the boundary layer of the 8-micron emission corresponds to the lower right edge of the dark cloud in the visible-light picture.
Outflows are fascinating objects, since they characterize one of the most energetic phases of the formation of low-mass stars (like our Sun). The jets arising from these protostars can reach sizes of trillions of miles and velocities of hundreds of thousands miles per hour. Outflows are clear evidence of the presence of a process that creates supersonic beams of gas. This mechanism is tightly bound to the presence of circumstellar discs which surround the young stars. Such discs are likely to contain the materials from which planetary systems form. Our Sun probably underwent a similar process some 4.5 billion years ago. Hence the interest in understanding how quickly and efficiently this mass accretion and loss process takes place in protostars.
Description
This image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope transforms a dark cloud into a silky translucent veil, revealing the molecular outflow from an otherwise hidden newborn star. Using near-infrared light, Spitzer pierces through the dark cloud to detect the embedded outflow in an object called HH 46/47. Herbig-Haro (HH) objects are bright, nebulous regions of gas and dust that are usually buried within dark clouds. They are formed when supersonic gas ejected from a forming protostar, or embryonic star, interacts with the surrounding interstellar medium. These young stars are often detected only in the infrared.
The Spitzer image was obtained with the infrared array camera. Emission at 3.6 microns is shown as blue, emission from 4.5 and 5.8 microns has been combined as green, and 8.0 micron emission is depicted as red.
HH 46/47 is a striking example of a low mass protostar ejecting a jet and creating a bipolar, or two-sided, outflow. The central protostar lies inside a dark cloud (known as a 'Bok globule') which is illuminated by the nearby Gum Nebula. Located at a distance of 1140 light-years and found in the constellation Vela, the protostar is hidden from view in the visible-light image (inset). With Spitzer, the star and its dazzling jets of molecular gas appear with clarity.
The 8-micron channel of the infrared array camera is sensitive to emission from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. These organic molecules, comprised of carbon and hydrogen, are excited by the surrounding radiation field and become luminescent, accounting for the reddish cloud. Note that the boundary layer of the 8-micron emission corresponds to the lower right edge of the dark cloud in the visible-light picture.
Outflows are fascinating objects, since they characterize one of the most energetic phases of the formation of low-mass stars (like our Sun). The jets arising from these protostars can reach sizes of trillions of miles and velocities of hundreds of thousands miles per hour. Outflows are clear evidence of the presence of a process that creates supersonic beams of gas. This mechanism is tightly bound to the presence of circumstellar discs which surround the young stars. Such discs are likely to contain the materials from which planetary systems form. Our Sun probably underwent a similar process some 4.5 billion years ago. Hence the interest in understanding how quickly and efficiently this mass accretion and loss process takes place in protostars.
Description
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Release Date:
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2003/12/18
Release_Date
2003/12/18
Release Date
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Press Release:
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Press_Release
Press Release
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Release Credit:
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NASA/JPL-Caltech/A. Noriega-Crespo (SSC/Caltech), Digital Sky Survey
Release_Credit
NASA/JPL-Caltech/A. Noriega-Crespo (SSC/Caltech), Digital Sky Survey
Release Credit
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Image Credit:
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NASA/JPL-Caltech/A. Noriega-Crespo (SSC/Caltech), Digital Sky Survey
Image_Credit
NASA/JPL-Caltech/A. Noriega-Crespo (SSC/Caltech), Digital Sky Survey
Image Credit
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Object name:
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HH 46/47
Object_name
HH 46/47
Object name
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Object name:
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Herbig-Haro 46/47
Object_name
Herbig-Haro 46/47
Object name
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Object type:
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Protostar with outflows, Star forming region
Object_type
Protostar with outflows, Star forming region
Object type
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Position (J2000):
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*RA: *08h25m43.90s *Dec: *-51d00m36.00s
Position_(J2000)
*RA: *08h25m43.90s *Dec: *-51d00m36.00s
Position (J2000)
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Distance:
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1,140 light-years (350 parsecs)
Distance
1,140 light-years (350 parsecs)
Distance
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Constellation:
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Vela (the Sails)
Constellation
Vela (the Sails)
Constellation
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Wavelength:
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3.6 (blue), 4.5-5.8 (green), 8.0 (red) microns
Wavelength
3.6 (blue), 4.5-5.8 (green), 8.0 (red) microns
Wavelength
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Image scale:
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10.2 x 6.5 arcmin
Image_scale
10.2 x 6.5 arcmin
Image scale
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Observers:
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A. Noriega-Crespo, Principal Investigator (SSC/Caltech)
Jocelyn Keene, Principal Investigator (JPL & SSC/Caltech),
Patrick Morris, Principal Investigator (SSC/Caltech)
Sean Carey, Principal Investigator (SSC/Caltech).
Francine Marleau, (SSC/Caltech)
Patrick Lowrance, (SSC/Caltech)
Ewine van Dishoeck (Leiden University)
Neal Evans (University of Texas)
Adwin Boogert (California Institute of Technology)
Lori Allen (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics)
Tyler Bourke (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics)
Klaus Pontoppidan (Leiden University)
Observers
A. Noriega-Crespo, Principal Investigator (SSC/Caltech)
Jocelyn Keene, Principal Investigator (JPL & SSC/Caltech),
Patrick Morris, Principal Investigator (SSC/Caltech)
Sean Carey, Principal Investigator (SSC/Caltech).
Francine Marleau, (SSC/Caltech)
Patrick Lowrance, (SSC/Caltech)
Ewine van Dishoeck (Leiden University)
Neal Evans (University of Texas)
Adwin Boogert (California Institute of Technology)
Lori Allen (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics)
Tyler Bourke (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics)
Klaus Pontoppidan (Leiden University)
Observers
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Instrument:
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IRAC
Instrument
IRAC
Instrument
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Exposure Date:
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November 19, 2003
Exposure_Date
November 19, 2003
Exposure Date
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Exposure Time:
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330 sec [5.5 minutes] per position
Exposure_Time
330 sec [5.5 minutes] per position
Exposure Time
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Orientation:
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North is rotated 117 degrees clockwise from the vertical
Orientation
North is rotated 117 degrees clockwise from the vertical
Orientation
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Related links:
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Related_links
Related links
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note:
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*Spitzer/IRAC image of Herbig-Haro 46/47 and its embedded protostar with molecular outflows* Screen-Resolution (450x284): JPEG [ http://ipac.jpl.nas…ssc2003-06f1_small.j pg ] High-Resolution (1020x643): JPEG | Mac TIFF | PC TIFF Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/A. Noriega-Crespo (SSC/Caltech)
note
*Spitzer/IRAC image of Herbig-Haro 46/47 and its embedded protostar with molecular outflows* Screen-Resolution (450x284): JPEG [ http://ipac.jpl.nas…ssc2003-06f1_small.j pg ] High-Resolution (1020x643): JPEG | Mac TIFF | PC TIFF Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/A. Noriega-Crespo (SSC/Caltech) note
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note:
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*Visible light comparison image* Screen-Resolution (450x284): JPEG [ http://ipac.jpl.nas…ssc2003-06f2_small.j pg ] High-Resolution (1020x643): JPEG | Mac TIFF | PC TIFF Credit: Digitized Sky Survey
note
*Visible light comparison image* Screen-Resolution (450x284): JPEG [ http://ipac.jpl.nas…ssc2003-06f2_small.j pg ] High-Resolution (1020x643): JPEG | Mac TIFF | PC TIFF Credit: Digitized Sky Survey note
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facet_what:
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Spitzer Space Telescope
facet_what
Spitzer Space Telescope
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Visible Light
facet_what
Visible Light
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Sun
facet_what
Sun
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Vela
facet_what
Vela
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Infrared Array Camera (IRAC)
facet_what
Infrared Array Camera (IRAC)
facet_what
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facet_where:
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California
facet_where
California
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Texas
facet_where
Texas
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
facet_where
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Washington, D.C.
facet_where
Washington, D.C.
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Stennis Space Center (SSC)
facet_where
Stennis Space Center (SSC)
facet_where
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facet_when:
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1140
facet_when
1140
facet_when
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facet_when:
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November 19, 2003
facet_when
November 19, 2003
facet_when
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facet_when_year:
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2003
facet_when_year
2003
facet_when_year
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facet_when_year:
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1140
facet_when_year
1140
facet_when_year
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Image #:
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ssc2003-06f
Image_#
ssc2003-06f
Image #
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original url:
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original_url
original url
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UID:
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SPD-SPITZ-ssc2003-06 f
UID
SPD-SPITZ-ssc2003-06 f
UID
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