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Stingray Nebula
| Title |
Stingray Nebula |
| Full Description |
This Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 image captures the infancy of the Stingray nebula (Hen-1357), the youngest known planetary nebula. In this image, the bright central star is in the middle of the green ring of gas. Its companion star is diagonally above it at 10 o'clock. A spur of gas (green) is forming a faint bridge to the companion star due to gravitational attraction. The image also shows a ring of gas (green) surrounding the central star, with bubbles of gas to the lower left and upper right of the ring. The wind of material propelled by radiation from the hot central star has created enough pressure to blow open holes in the ends of the bubbles, allowing gas to escape. The red curved lines represent bright gas that is heated by a "shock" caused when the central star's wind hits the walls of the bubbles. The nebula is as large as 130 solar systems, but, at its distance of 18,000 light-years, it appears only as big as a dime viewed a mile away. The Stingray is located in the direction of the southern constellation Ara (the Altar). The colors shown are actual colors emitted by nitrogen (red), oxygen (green), and hydrogen (blue). |
| Date |
03/01/1996 |
| NASA Center |
Hubble Space Telescope Center |
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Too Close for Comfort
| Title |
Too Close for Comfort |
| General Information |
What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. Back to top [ #top ] |
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Too Close for Comfort
| Title |
Too Close for Comfort |
| General Information |
What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. Back to top [ #top ] |
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Hubble Sees Faintest Stars i
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| Title |
Hubble Sees Faintest Stars in a Globular Cluster |
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Hubble Sees Faintest Stars i
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| Title |
Hubble Sees Faintest Stars in a Globular Cluster |
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Hubble Sees Faintest Stars i
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| Title |
Hubble Sees Faintest Stars in a Globular Cluster |
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Hubble Sees Faintest Stars i
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| Title |
Hubble Sees Faintest Stars in a Globular Cluster |
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Hubble Sees Faintest Stars i
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| Title |
Hubble Sees Faintest Stars in a Globular Cluster |
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How White Dwarfs Get Their '
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| Title |
How White Dwarfs Get Their 'Kicks' |
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Hubble Sees Faintest Stars i
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| Title |
Hubble Sees Faintest Stars in a Globular Cluster |
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Hubble Sees Faintest Stars i
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| Title |
Hubble Sees Faintest Stars in a Globular Cluster |
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Hubble Finds a Young Planeta
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| Title |
Hubble Finds a Young Planetary Nebula |
| General Information |
What is an American Astronomical Society Meeting release? A major news announcement issued at an American Astronomical Society meeting, the premier astronomy conference. This is a NASA Hubble Space Telescope picture of a recently-formed ?planetary nebula,? known as Hen 1357. This expanding cloud of gas was ejected from the aging star in the center. Much of the gas is concentrated in a ring which appears tilted 35 degrees. Besides the big clumps in the ring, HST's detailed images reveal many smaller clumps and wisps of gas, indicating turbulent motions and other activity in the nebula. Two bubbles of gas seen above and below the ring have burst open at their ends, allowing gas from inside to escape. |
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Hubble Rules Out a Leading E
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| Title |
Hubble Rules Out a Leading Explanation for Dark Matter |
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Hubble Rules Out a Leading E
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| Title |
Hubble Rules Out a Leading Explanation for Dark Matter |
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How White Dwarfs Get Their '
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| Title |
How White Dwarfs Get Their 'Kicks' |
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How White Dwarfs Get Their '
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| Title |
How White Dwarfs Get Their 'Kicks' |
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How White Dwarfs Get Their '
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| Title |
How White Dwarfs Get Their 'Kicks' |
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Hen 1357: New Born Nebula
| Title |
Hen 1357: New Born Nebula |
| Explanation |
This Hubble Space Telescope [ http://oposite.stsci.edu/pubinfo/pr/1998/15/ ] snapshot shows Hen-1357, the youngest known planetary nebula [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap011003.html ]. Graceful, gentle curves and symmetry suggest its popular name [ http://greeceny.com/ls/grade4/sea1.htm#Stingray ] - The Stingray Nebula [ http://oposite.stsci.edu/pubinfo/pr/1998/15/pr.html ]. Observations in the 1970s detected no nebular material, but this image from March 1996 clearly shows the Stingray's emerging bubbles and rings of shocked and ionized gas [ http://oposite.stsci.edu/pubinfo/pr/1998/15/ content/prc9815.txt ]. The gas is energized by the hot central star as it nears the end of its life, evolving toward a final white dwarf phase [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap961203.html ]. The image also shows a companion star (at about 10 o'clock) within the nebula. Astronomers suspect that such companions account for the complex shapes and rings [ http://www.astro.washington.edu/balick/WFPC2/ ] of this and many other planetary nebulae. This cosmic infant is about 130 times the size of our own solar system and growing. It is 18,000 light-years distant, in the southern constellation Ara [ http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/ constellations/Ara.html ]. |
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Hen-1357: New Born Nebula
| Title |
Hen-1357: New Born Nebula |
| Explanation |
This Hubble Space Telescope picture [ http://oposite.stsci.edu/pubinfo/pr/1998/15/ ] shows Hen-1357, the youngest known planetary nebula [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980325.html ]. Graceful, gentle curves and symmetry suggest its popular name [ http://greeceny.com/ls/grade4/sea1.htm#Stingray ] - The Stingray Nebula [ http://oposite.stsci.edu/pubinfo/pr/1998/15/pr.html ]. Observations in the 1970s detected no nebular material, but this image from March 1996 clearly shows the Stingray's emerging bubbles and rings of shocked and ionized gas [ http://oposite.stsci.edu/pubinfo/pr/1998/15/content/prc9815.txt ]. The gas is energized by the hot central star as it nears the end of its life, evolving toward a final white dwarf phase [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap961203.html ]. The image also shows a companion star (at about 10 o'clock) within the nebula. Astronomers suspect that such companions account for the complex shapes and rings [ http://www.astro.washington.edu/balick/WFPC2/ ] of this and many other planetary nebulae. This cosmic infant is about 130 times the size of our own solar system and growing. It is 18,000 light-years distant, in the southern constellation Ara [ http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/ constellations/Ara.html ]. |
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