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Collection:
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NASA Planetary Photo Journal Collection
Collection
NASA Planetary Photo Journal Collection
Collection
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Title:
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A Real Shooting Star
Title
A Real Shooting Star
Title
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Original Caption Released with Image:
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""
Click on the image for movie of
A Real Shooting Star
This artist's animation illustrates a star flying through our galaxy at supersonic speeds, leaving a 13-light-year-long trail of glowing material in its wake. The star, named Mira (pronounced my-rah) after the latin word for "wonderful," sheds material that will be recycled into new stars, planets and possibly even life. NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer discovered the long trail of material behind Mira during its survey of the entire sky in ultraviolet light.
The animation begins by showing a close-up of Mira -- a red-giant star near the end of its life. Red giants are red in color and extremely bloated; for example, if a red giant were to replace our sun, it would engulf everything out to the orbit of Mars. They constantly blow off gas and dust in the form of stellar winds, supplying the galaxy with molecules, such as oxygen and carbon, that will make their way into new solar systems. Our sun will mature into a red giant in about 5 billion years.
As the animation pulls out, we can see the enormous trail of material deposited behind Mira as it hurls along between the stars. Like a boat traveling through water, a bow shock, or build up of gas, forms ahead of the star in the direction of its motion. Gas in the bow shock is heated and then mixes with the cool hydrogen gas in the wind that is blowing off Mira. This heated hydrogen gas then flows around behind the star, forming a turbulent wake.
Why does the trailing hydrogen gas glow in ultraviolet light? When it is heated, it transitions into a higher-energy state, which then loses energy by emitting ultraviolet light - a process known as fluorescence.
Finally, the artist's rendering gives way to the actual ultraviolet image taken by the Galaxy Evolution Explorer
Mira is located 350 light-years from Earth in the constellation Cetus, otherwise known as the whale. Coincidentally, Mira and its "whale of a tail" can be found in the tail of the whale constellation.
Original_Caption_Rel eased_with_Image
""
Click on the image for movie of
A Real Shooting Star
This artist's animation illustrates a star flying through our galaxy at supersonic speeds, leaving a 13-light-year-long trail of glowing material in its wake. The star, named Mira (pronounced my-rah) after the latin word for "wonderful," sheds material that will be recycled into new stars, planets and possibly even life. NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer discovered the long trail of material behind Mira during its survey of the entire sky in ultraviolet light.
The animation begins by showing a close-up of Mira -- a red-giant star near the end of its life. Red giants are red in color and extremely bloated; for example, if a red giant were to replace our sun, it would engulf everything out to the orbit of Mars. They constantly blow off gas and dust in the form of stellar winds, supplying the galaxy with molecules, such as oxygen and carbon, that will make their way into new solar systems. Our sun will mature into a red giant in about 5 billion years.
As the animation pulls out, we can see the enormous trail of material deposited behind Mira as it hurls along between the stars. Like a boat traveling through water, a bow shock, or build up of gas, forms ahead of the star in the direction of its motion. Gas in the bow shock is heated and then mixes with the cool hydrogen gas in the wind that is blowing off Mira. This heated hydrogen gas then flows around behind the star, forming a turbulent wake.
Why does the trailing hydrogen gas glow in ultraviolet light? When it is heated, it transitions into a higher-energy state, which then loses energy by emitting ultraviolet light - a process known as fluorescence.
Finally, the artist's rendering gives way to the actual ultraviolet image taken by the Galaxy Evolution Explorer
Mira is located 350 light-years from Earth in the constellation Cetus, otherwise known as the whale. Coincidentally, Mira and its "whale of a tail" can be found in the tail of the whale constellation.
Original Caption Released with Image
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note:
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A Real Shooting Star [ http //photojournal.jpl.n asa.gov/animation/PI A09960 ]
Click on graphic to obtain download options
note
A Real Shooting Star [ http //photojournal.jpl.n asa.gov/animation/PI A09960 ]
Click on graphic to obtain download options
note
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Image Credit:
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NASA/JPL-Caltech
Image_Credit
NASA/JPL-Caltech
Image Credit
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Produced By:
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California Institute of Technology
Produced_By
California Institute of Technology
Produced By
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Mission:
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Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX)
Mission
Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX)
Mission
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Spacecraft:
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GALEX Orbiter
Spacecraft
GALEX Orbiter
Spacecraft
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Target Name:
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Mira
Target_Name
Mira
Target Name
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Instrument:
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Ultraviolet/Visible Camera
Instrument
Ultraviolet/Visible Camera
Instrument
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Product Size:
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717 samples x 478 lines
Product_Size
717 samples x 478 lines
Product Size
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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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Earth
facet_what
Earth
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Ultraviolet/Visible Camera
facet_what
Ultraviolet/Visible Camera
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Mars
facet_what
Mars
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Explorer
facet_what
Explorer
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Galaxy Evolution Explorer
facet_what
Galaxy Evolution Explorer
facet_what
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facet_what:
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GALEX
facet_what
GALEX
facet_what
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facet_what:
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GALEX Orbiter
facet_what
GALEX Orbiter
facet_what
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facet_what:
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MIRA
facet_what
MIRA
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Cetus
facet_what
Cetus
facet_what
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facet_where:
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Mars
facet_where
Mars
facet_where
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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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Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
facet_where
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
facet_where
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Image #:
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PIA09960
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UID:
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SPD-PHOTJ-PIA09960
UID
SPD-PHOTJ-PIA09960
UID
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orignial url:
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orignial_url
orignial url
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