|
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Hubble Witnesses the Final B
…
| Title |
Hubble Witnesses the Final Blaze of Glory of Sun-Like Stars |
| General Information |
What is a Space Science Update? Major Hubble discoveries on NASA television ... Astronomers explain their Hubble discoveries at a press conference, called a Space Science Update (SSU), broadcast on NASA television. The SSU includes a question and answer session with members of the media. The end of a Sun-like star's life was once thought to be simple: the star gracefully casts off a shell of glowing gas and then settles into a long retirement as a burned-out white dwarf. Now, a dazzling collection of detailed views from the Hubble telescope reveals surprisingly intricate, glowing patterns spun into space by aging stars: pinwheels, lawn sprinkler-style jets, elegant goblet shapes, and even some that look like a rocket engine's exhaust. In this picture of M2-9, twin lobes of material emanate from a central, dying star. Astronomers have dubbed this object the "Twin Jet Nebula" because of the shape of the lobes. If the nebula is sliced across the star, each side appears much like a pair of exhausts from jet engines. Indeed, because of the nebula's shape and the measured velocity of the gas, in excess of 200 miles per second, astronomers believe that the description as a super-super-sonic jet exhaust is quite apt. Read more: * Release Text [ http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/1997/38/text/ ] |
|
Hubble Witnesses the Final B
…
| Title |
Hubble Witnesses the Final Blaze of Glory of Sun-Like Stars |
| General Information |
What is a Space Science Update? Major Hubble discoveries on NASA television ... Astronomers explain their Hubble discoveries at a press conference, called a Space Science Update (SSU), broadcast on NASA television. The SSU includes a question and answer session with members of the media. The end of a Sun-like star's life was once thought to be simple: the star gracefully casts off a shell of glowing gas and then settles into a long retirement as a burned-out white dwarf. Now, a dazzling collection of detailed views from the Hubble telescope reveals surprisingly intricate, glowing patterns spun into space by aging stars: pinwheels, lawn sprinkler-style jets, elegant goblet shapes, and even some that look like a rocket engine's exhaust. In this picture of M2-9, twin lobes of material emanate from a central, dying star. Astronomers have dubbed this object the "Twin Jet Nebula" because of the shape of the lobes. If the nebula is sliced across the star, each side appears much like a pair of exhausts from jet engines. Indeed, because of the nebula's shape and the measured velocity of the gas, in excess of 200 miles per second, astronomers believe that the description as a super-super-sonic jet exhaust is quite apt. Read more: * Release Text [ http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/1997/38/text/ ] |
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Supernova Blast Bonanza in N
…
| Title |
Supernova Blast Bonanza in Nearby Galaxy |
|
A Bright Supernova in the Ne
…
| Title |
A Bright Supernova in the Nearby Galaxy NGC 2403 |
|
A Bright Supernova in the Ne
…
| Title |
A Bright Supernova in the Nearby Galaxy NGC 2403 |
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A Bright Supernova in the Ne
…
| Title |
A Bright Supernova in the Nearby Galaxy NGC 2403 |
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A Bright Supernova in the Ne
…
| Title |
A Bright Supernova in the Nearby Galaxy NGC 2403 |
|
Host Galaxy Cluster to Large
…
| Title |
Host Galaxy Cluster to Largest Known Radio Eruption |
| General Information |
What is a News Nugget? News Nuggets are bulletins from the world of astronomy. This is a new composite image of galaxy cluster MS0735.6+7421, located about 2.6 billion light-years away in the constellation Camelopardalis. The three views of the region were taken with NASA's Hubble Space Telescope in Feb. 2006, NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory in Nov. 2003, and NRAO's Very Large Array in Oct. 2004. The Hubble image shows dozens of galaxies bound together by gravity. In Jan. 2005, astronomers reported that a supermassive black hole, lurking in the central bright galaxy, generated the most powerful outburst seen in the universe. The VLA radio image shows jets of high energy particles (in red) streaming from the black hole. These jets pushed the X-ray emitting hot gas (shown in blue in the Chandra image) aside to create two giant cavities in the gas. The cavities are evidence for the massive eruption. The X-ray and radio images show the enormous appetite of large black holes and the profound impact they have on their surroundings. |
|
Host Galaxy Cluster to Large
…
| Title |
Host Galaxy Cluster to Largest Known Radio Eruption |
| General Information |
What is a News Nugget? News Nuggets are bulletins from the world of astronomy. This is a new composite image of galaxy cluster MS0735.6+7421, located about 2.6 billion light-years away in the constellation Camelopardalis. The three views of the region were taken with NASA's Hubble Space Telescope in Feb. 2006, NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory in Nov. 2003, and NRAO's Very Large Array in Oct. 2004. The Hubble image shows dozens of galaxies bound together by gravity. In Jan. 2005, astronomers reported that a supermassive black hole, lurking in the central bright galaxy, generated the most powerful outburst seen in the universe. The VLA radio image shows jets of high energy particles (in red) streaming from the black hole. These jets pushed the X-ray emitting hot gas (shown in blue in the Chandra image) aside to create two giant cavities in the gas. The cavities are evidence for the massive eruption. The X-ray and radio images show the enormous appetite of large black holes and the profound impact they have on their surroundings. |
|
Host Galaxy Cluster to Large
…
| Title |
Host Galaxy Cluster to Largest Known Radio Eruption |
| General Information |
What is a News Nugget? News Nuggets are bulletins from the world of astronomy. This is a new composite image of galaxy cluster MS0735.6+7421, located about 2.6 billion light-years away in the constellation Camelopardalis. The three views of the region were taken with NASA's Hubble Space Telescope in Feb. 2006, NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory in Nov. 2003, and NRAO's Very Large Array in Oct. 2004. The Hubble image shows dozens of galaxies bound together by gravity. In Jan. 2005, astronomers reported that a supermassive black hole, lurking in the central bright galaxy, generated the most powerful outburst seen in the universe. The VLA radio image shows jets of high energy particles (in red) streaming from the black hole. These jets pushed the X-ray emitting hot gas (shown in blue in the Chandra image) aside to create two giant cavities in the gas. The cavities are evidence for the massive eruption. The X-ray and radio images show the enormous appetite of large black holes and the profound impact they have on their surroundings. |
|
Host Galaxy Cluster to Large
…
| Title |
Host Galaxy Cluster to Largest Known Radio Eruption |
| General Information |
What is a News Nugget? News Nuggets are bulletins from the world of astronomy. This is a new composite image of galaxy cluster MS0735.6+7421, located about 2.6 billion light-years away in the constellation Camelopardalis. The three views of the region were taken with NASA's Hubble Space Telescope in Feb. 2006, NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory in Nov. 2003, and NRAO's Very Large Array in Oct. 2004. The Hubble image shows dozens of galaxies bound together by gravity. In Jan. 2005, astronomers reported that a supermassive black hole, lurking in the central bright galaxy, generated the most powerful outburst seen in the universe. The VLA radio image shows jets of high energy particles (in red) streaming from the black hole. These jets pushed the X-ray emitting hot gas (shown in blue in the Chandra image) aside to create two giant cavities in the gas. The cavities are evidence for the massive eruption. The X-ray and radio images show the enormous appetite of large black holes and the profound impact they have on their surroundings. |
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Spiral Galaxy NGC 2403 from
…
| Title |
Spiral Galaxy NGC 2403 from Subaru |
| Explanation |
Sprawling spiral arms dotted with bright red emission nebulas [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/emission_nebulae.html ] highlight this new and detailed image of nearby spiral galaxy [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/spiral_galaxies.html ] NGC 2403. Also visible in the photogenic spiral galaxy [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiral_galaxy ] are blue open clusters [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/open_clusters.html ], dark dust [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap030706.html ] lanes [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020620.html ], and a bright but relatively small central nucleus [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap001220.html ]. NGC 2403 is located just beyond the Local Group of Galaxies [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Local_group ], at a relatively close 10 million light years away toward the constellation [ http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/extra/constellations.html ] of the Giraffe [ http://www.kidsplanet.org/factsheets/giraffe.html ] (Camelopardalis [ http://www.astronomical.org/portal/modules/wfsection/article.php?articleid=11 ]). NGC 2403 has a designated Hubble type [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hubble_sequence ] of Sc. In 2004, NGC 2403 was home to one of the brightest supernovas [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap040907.html ] of modern times. The above image [ http://subarutelescope.org/Pressrelease/2005/10/13/index.html ], the highest resolution complete image of NGC 2403 ever completed, was taken by the Japan [ http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ja.html ]'s 8.3-meter Subaru telescope [ http://www.schoolsobservatory.org.uk/astro/textb/tele/world/subaru.htm ] located on Mauna Kea [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap051220.html ], Hawaii [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaii ], USA [ http://www.cdc.noaa.gov/USclimate/states.fast.html ]. |
|
Hidden Galaxy IC 342
| Title |
Hidden Galaxy IC 342 |
| Explanation |
Similar [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap060707.html ] in size to other large, bright spiral galaxies IC 342 [ http://www.seds.org/~spider/spider/LG/i0342.html ] is a mere 7 million light-years distant in the long-necked, northern constellation Camelopardalis [ http://www.coldwater.k12.mi.us/lms/planetarium/myth/ camelopardalis.html ]. A sprawling island universe [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap051222.html ], IC 342 would otherwise be a prominent galaxy in our night sky [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap060413.html ], but it is almost hidden from view behind the veil of stars, gas and dust clouds in the plane of our Milky Way galaxy [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap060801.html ]. Even though IC 342's light is dimmed by intervening cosmic clouds [ http://www-ssg.sr.unh.edu/ism/what1.html ], this remarkably sharp telescopic image [ http://www.robgendlerastropics.com/IC342NM.html ] traces the galaxy's own obscuring dust, blue star clusters, and glowing pink star forming regions along spiral arms that wind far from the galaxy's core. IC 342 [ http://www.astro.spbu.ru/staff/dio/IC342/IC342E.html ] may have undergone a recent burst [ http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0305552 ] of star formation activity and is close enough [ http://seds.lpl.arizona.edu/messier/xtra/ngc/ maffei1g.html ] to have gravitationally influenced the evolution of the local group [ http://seds.lpl.arizona.edu/messier/more/local.html ] of galaxies and the Milky Way. |
|
Kemble's Cascade
| Title |
Kemble's Cascade |
| Explanation |
A picturesque chain of unrelated stars is visible with strong binoculars towards the constellation [ http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/extra/constellations.html ] of Camelopardalis [ http://www.astronomical.org/constellations/cam.html ]. Known as Kemble's Cascade [ http://www.agt.net/public/fenertyb/KmbCsc08.html ], the asterism [ http://www.seds.org/Maps/Const/asterism.html ] contains about 20 stars [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/lib/glossary.html#star ] nearly in a row stretching over five times the width of a full moon [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap991108.html ]. Made popular by astronomy enthusiast Lucian Kemble [ http://www.jps.net/davestea/Lucian/LucianAutoBio.htm ] (1922-1999), these stars appear as a string only from our direction in the Milky Way Galaxy [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/milky_way.html ]. The above photograph [ http://www.starlightccd.com/walter/picturebook/constellation/kemble's_cascade.htm ] of Kemble's Cascade [ http://www.jps.net/davestea/Lucian/KemblesCasc.htm ] was made with a small telescope in New Mexico [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap000814.html http://www.state.nm.us/ ], USA [ http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/us.html ]. The bright object near the bottom left is the relatively compact open cluster [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/open_clusters.html ] of stars known as NGC 1502 [ http://www.dibonsmith.com/ngc1502.htm ]. |
|
Alpha Cam: Runaway Star
| Title |
Alpha Cam: Runaway Star |
| Explanation |
Runaway stars [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runaway_star ] are massive stars traveling rapidly through interstellar space. Like a ship plowing through cosmic seas, runaway star Alpha Cam has [ http://www.astro.uiuc.edu/~kaler/sow/alphacam.html ] produced this graceful arcing bow wave or bow shock [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010221.html ] - moving at over 60 kilometers per "second" and compressing the interstellar material [ http://www-ssg.sr.unh.edu/ism/what1.html ] in its path. The bright star above [ http://www.galaxyimages.com/AlphaCam.html ] and left of center in this wide (3x2 degree) view, Alpha Cam is about 25-30 times as massive as the Sun, 5 times hotter (30,000 kelvins), and over 500,000 times brighter. About 4,000 light-years away in the long-necked constellation Camelopardalis [ http://www.coldwater.k12.mi.us/lms/planetarium/ myth/camelopardalis.html ], the star also produces a strong wind. The bow shock stands off about 10 light-years from the star itself. What set this star in motion [ http://www.abc.net.au/science/k2/moments/s223732.htm ]? Astronomers have long thought that Alpha Cam was flung out of a nearby cluster of young hot stars due to gravitational interactions with other cluster members or perhaps by the supernova explosion [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap050910.html ] of a massive companion star. |
|
BZ Cam Bow Shock
| Title |
BZ Cam Bow Shock |
| Explanation |
BZ Cam is a binary star system [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap991219.html ] that is not well understood. In most cataclysmic variables [ http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/science/know_l2/cataclysmic_variables.html ], matter from a normal star [ http://www.astro.umd.edu/education/astro/stev/main_seq.html ] accumulates on the surface of the companion white dwarf [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/white_dwarfs.html ] star, eventually causing a nova [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap970925.html ]-like flare as the material becomes hot enough to ignite nuclear fusion [ http://www.sciam.com/specialissues/0398cosmos/0398starrfield.html ]. In BZ Cam [ http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/AJ/journal/issues/v115n1/970389/970389.html ], however, light appears to flicker unpredictably, and an unusually large wind [ http://www-spof.gsfc.nasa.gov/Education/wsolwind.html ] of particles is being expelled. Pictured above [ http://www.to.astro.it/Orio/uno.html ], BZ Cam [ http://www.kusastro.kyoto-u.ac.jp/vsnet/VSOLJ/1995/index/CAMBZ.html ]'s wind creates a large bow-shock [ http://www.windows.ucar.edu/glossary/bow_shock.html ] as the system moves through surrounding interstellar gas [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap000411.html ]. BZ Cam [ http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?bibcode=1996AJ....111.2422P ] lies about 2500 light-years [ http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/cosmic_distance.html ] away toward the constellation [ http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/extra/constellations.html ] of Camelopardalis [ http://www.astronomical.org/constellations/cam.html ]. |
|
Hidden Galaxy IC 342 from Ki
…
| Title |
Hidden Galaxy IC 342 from Kitt Peak |
| Explanation |
Beautiful nearby spiral galaxy IC 342 could be more famous if it wasn't so hidden. A sprawling island universe [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap051222.html ], IC 342 would be a prominent galaxy in our night sky [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap060413.html ], but it is almost hidden from view behind the veil of stars, gas and dust clouds in the plane of our Milky Way galaxy [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap060801.html ]. Similar [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap060707.html ] in size to other large, bright spiral galaxies IC 342 [ http://www.seds.org/~spider/spider/LG/i0342.html ] is a mere 7 million light-years [ http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/questions/question19.html ] distant in the long-necked, northern constellation of the Giraffe (Camelopardalis [ http://www.coldwater.k12.mi.us/lms/planetarium/myth/ camelopardalis.html ]). Even though IC 342's light is dimmed by intervening cosmic clouds [ http://www-ssg.sr.unh.edu/ism/what1.html ], this remarkably sharp telescopic image [ http://www.noao.edu/image_gallery/html/im1032.html ] traces the galaxy's own obscuring dust [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap070606.html ], blue star clusters [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap071118.html ], and glowing pink star forming region [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap070506.html ]s along spiral arms that wind far from the galaxy's core [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap041227.html ]. IC 342 [ http://www.astro.spbu.ru/staff/dio/IC342/IC342E.html ] may have undergone a recent burst [ http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0305552 ] of star formation activity and is close enough [ http://seds.lpl.arizona.edu/messier/xtra/ngc/ maffei1g.html ] to have gravitationally influenced the evolution of the local group [ http://seds.lpl.arizona.edu/messier/more/local.html ] of galaxies and the Milky Way. |
|
NGC 1569: Heavy Elements fro
…
| Title |
NGC 1569: Heavy Elements from a Small Galaxy |
| Explanation |
For astronomers, elements other than hydrogen [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010113.html ] and helium [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010120.html ] are sometimes considered to be simply "heavy elements". It's understandable really, because even lumped all together heavy elements make up an exceedingly small fraction [ http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr162/lect/sun/ composition.html ] of the Universe. Still, heavy elements can profoundly influence galaxy and star formation ... not to mention [ http://www.europhysicsnews.com/full/14/article1/ article1.html ] the formation of planets and people. In this tantalizing [ http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2002/1060/index.html ] false-color x-ray image from the orbiting Chandra Observatory [ http://chandra.harvard.edu/about/whereis.html ], small dwarf galaxy NGC 1569 [ http://www.seds.org/~spider/ngc/ngc.cgi?1569 ] is surrounded by x-ray emitting [ http://chandra.harvard.edu/xray_astro/ ] clouds of gas thousands of light-years across. The gas has recently been observed [ http://arXiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0203513 ] to contain significant concentrations of astronomers' heavy elements such as oxygen, silicon, and magnesium, supporting the idea that dwarf galaxies, the most common type of galaxy in the Universe [ http://www.anzwers.org/free/ universe/galgrps.html ], are largely responsible for heavy elements in intergalactic space. A mere 7 million light-years distant toward the long-necked [ http://www.nature-wildlife.com/girtxt.htm ] constellation Camelopardalis [ http://www.dibonsmith.com/cam_con.htm ], NGC 1569 has undergone a recent burst of star formation and stellar supernova explosions [ http://curious.astro.cornell.edu/ supernovae.php ]. The furious cosmic activity [ http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/xmm_lc/edu/ lessons/background-lifecycles.html ] has heated the expanding gas clouds to temperatures of millions of degrees while enriching them with newly synthesized [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap011026.html ] heavy elements. |
|
NGC 1569: Starburst in a Sma
…
| Title |
NGC 1569: Starburst in a Small Galaxy |
| Explanation |
Grand spiral galaxies [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap030524.html ] often seem to get all the glory, flaunting their young, bright, blue star clusters in beautiful, symmetric spiral [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap030925.html ] arms. But small, irregular [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010804.html ] galaxies form stars too. In fact, as pictured here [ http://hubble.esa.int/science-e/www/object/ index.cfm?fobjectid=34594 ], dwarf galaxy NGC 1569 is apparently undergoing a burst of star forming activity, thought to have begun over 25 million years ago. The resulting turbulent environment [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020725.html ] is fed by supernova explosions as the cosmic detonations spew out material and trigger further star formation. Two massive star clusters - youthful counterparts to globular star clusters [ http://www.seds.org/messier/xtra/supp/mw_gc.html ] in our own spiral Milky Way [ http://www.anzwers.org/free/universe/ galaxy.html ] galaxy - are seen left of center in the gorgeous Hubble Space Telescope [ http://hubblesite.org ] image. The picture spans about 1,500 light-years across NGC 1569. A mere 7 million light-years distant, this relatively close starburst galaxy offers astronomers an excellent opportunity to study [ http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0309153 ] stellar populations in rapidly evolving galaxies. NGC 1569 lies in the long-necked [ http://www.nature-wildlife.com/girtxt.htm ] constellation Camelopardalis [ http://www.dibonsmith.com/cam_con.htm ]. |
|
A Supernova in Nearby Galaxy
…
| Title |
A Supernova in Nearby Galaxy NGC 2403 |
| Explanation |
The closest and brightest supernova in over a decade was recorded [ http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2004/09/02_TypeIISN.shtml ] just over a month ago in the outskirts of nearby galaxy NGC 2403. Officially tagged SN 2004dj [ http://www.rochesterastronomy.org//sn2004/sn2004dj.html ], the Type IIP [ http://www2.arnes.si/~gljsentvid10/supn1.html ] explosion likely annihilated most of a blue supergiant star [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap001222.html ] as central fusion [ http://zebu.uoregon.edu/~js/ast122/lectures/lec14.html ] could no longer hold it up [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/gifcity/msblues.html ]. The supernova [ http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/snr.html ] can be seen as the bright object in the above image [ http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/newsdesk/archive/releases/2004/23/ ] in the direction of the arrow. The home galaxy to the supernova, spiral galaxy NGC 2403 [ http://www.seds.org/messier/xtra/ngc/n2403.html ], is located only 11 million light years [ http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/questions/question19.html ] away and is visible with binoculars toward the northern constellation [ http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/extra/constellations.html ] of Camelopardalis [ http://www.astronomical.org/portal/modules/wfsection/article.php?articleid=11 ] (the Giraffe [ http://www.kidsplanet.org/factsheets/giraffe.html ]). The supernova is fading [ http://www.rochesterastronomy.org/supernova.html ] but still visible with a telescope, once peaking at just brighter than magnitude [ http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr162/lect/stars/magnitudes.html ] 12. Supernovas [ http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/iau/lists/Supernovae.html ] of this type change brightness in a predictable way and may be searched for in the distant universe [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap040309.html ] as distance indicators. |
|
Collecting Brown Dwarfs in t
…
nasa, wisemultimediagallery
That green dot in the middle
…
499066main_pia13444
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2010-11-09 |
| creator |
NASA |
| identifier |
499066main_pia13444 |
|
Scene of Multiple Explosions
PIA09220
Far-ultraviolet Detector, Ne
…
| Title |
Scene of Multiple Explosions |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
This composite image shows Z Camelopardalis, or Z Cam, a double-star system featuring a collapsed, dead star, called a white dwarf, and a companion star, as well as a ghostly shell around the system. The massive shell provides evidence of lingering material ejected during and swept up by a powerful classical nova explosion that occurred probably a few thousand years ago. The image combines data gathered from the far-ultraviolet and near-ultraviolet detectors on NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer on Jan. 25, 2004. The orbiting observatory first began imaging Z Cam in 2003. Z Cam is the largest white object in the image, located near the center. Parts of the shell are seen as a lobe-like, wispy, yellowish feature below and to the right of Z Cam, and as two large, whitish, perpendicular lines on the left. Z Cam was one of the first known recurrent dwarf nova, meaning it erupts in a series of small, "hiccup-like" blasts, unlike classical novae, which undergo a massive explosion. That's why the huge shell around Z Cam caught the eye of astronomer Dr. Mark Seibert of Carnegie Institution of Washington in Pasadena, Calif. - it could only be explained as the remnant of a full-blown classical nova explosion. This finding provides the first evidence that some binary systems undergo both types of explosions. Previously, a link between the two types of novae had been predicted, but there was no evidence to support the theory. The faint bluish streak in the bottom right corner of the image is ultraviolet light reflected by dust that may or may not be related to Z Cam. Numerous foreground and background stars and galaxies are visible as yellow and white spots. The yellow objects are strong near-ultraviolet emitters, blue features have strong far-ultraviolet emission, and white objects have nearly equal amounts of near-ultraviolet and far-ultraviolet emission. |
|
Scene of Multiple Explosions
PIA09220
Far-ultraviolet Detector, Ne
…
| Title |
Scene of Multiple Explosions |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
This composite image shows Z Camelopardalis, or Z Cam, a double-star system featuring a collapsed, dead star, called a white dwarf, and a companion star, as well as a ghostly shell around the system. The massive shell provides evidence of lingering material ejected during and swept up by a powerful classical nova explosion that occurred probably a few thousand years ago. The image combines data gathered from the far-ultraviolet and near-ultraviolet detectors on NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer on Jan. 25, 2004. The orbiting observatory first began imaging Z Cam in 2003. Z Cam is the largest white object in the image, located near the center. Parts of the shell are seen as a lobe-like, wispy, yellowish feature below and to the right of Z Cam, and as two large, whitish, perpendicular lines on the left. Z Cam was one of the first known recurrent dwarf nova, meaning it erupts in a series of small, "hiccup-like" blasts, unlike classical novae, which undergo a massive explosion. That's why the huge shell around Z Cam caught the eye of astronomer Dr. Mark Seibert of Carnegie Institution of Washington in Pasadena, Calif. - it could only be explained as the remnant of a full-blown classical nova explosion. This finding provides the first evidence that some binary systems undergo both types of explosions. Previously, a link between the two types of novae had been predicted, but there was no evidence to support the theory. The faint bluish streak in the bottom right corner of the image is ultraviolet light reflected by dust that may or may not be related to Z Cam. Numerous foreground and background stars and galaxies are visible as yellow and white spots. The yellow objects are strong near-ultraviolet emitters, blue features have strong far-ultraviolet emission, and white objects have nearly equal amounts of near-ultraviolet and far-ultraviolet emission. |
|
Scene of Multiple Explosions
PIA09220
Far-ultraviolet Detector, Ne
…
| Title |
Scene of Multiple Explosions |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
This composite image shows Z Camelopardalis, or Z Cam, a double-star system featuring a collapsed, dead star, called a white dwarf, and a companion star, as well as a ghostly shell around the system. The massive shell provides evidence of lingering material ejected during and swept up by a powerful classical nova explosion that occurred probably a few thousand years ago. The image combines data gathered from the far-ultraviolet and near-ultraviolet detectors on NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer on Jan. 25, 2004. The orbiting observatory first began imaging Z Cam in 2003. Z Cam is the largest white object in the image, located near the center. Parts of the shell are seen as a lobe-like, wispy, yellowish feature below and to the right of Z Cam, and as two large, whitish, perpendicular lines on the left. Z Cam was one of the first known recurrent dwarf nova, meaning it erupts in a series of small, "hiccup-like" blasts, unlike classical novae, which undergo a massive explosion. That's why the huge shell around Z Cam caught the eye of astronomer Dr. Mark Seibert of Carnegie Institution of Washington in Pasadena, Calif. - it could only be explained as the remnant of a full-blown classical nova explosion. This finding provides the first evidence that some binary systems undergo both types of explosions. Previously, a link between the two types of novae had been predicted, but there was no evidence to support the theory. The faint bluish streak in the bottom right corner of the image is ultraviolet light reflected by dust that may or may not be related to Z Cam. Numerous foreground and background stars and galaxies are visible as yellow and white spots. The yellow objects are strong near-ultraviolet emitters, blue features have strong far-ultraviolet emission, and white objects have nearly equal amounts of near-ultraviolet and far-ultraviolet emission. |
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Ghostly Remnant of an Explos
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PIA09219
Far-ultraviolet Detector
| Title |
Ghostly Remnant of an Explosive Past |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
This enhanced image from the far-ultraviolet detector on NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer shows a ghostly shell of ionized gas around Z Camelopardalis, a binary, or double-star system featuring a collapsed, dead star known as a white dwarf, and a companion star. The image was processed to enhance the diffuse emissions from the shell. Z Cam is the bright object near the center of the image. Parts of the shell are seen as a lobe-like, light-blue feature below and to the right of Z Cam, and as two large, light blue, perpendicular lines on the left. The massive shell around Z Cam provides evidence of material ejected during and swept up by a powerful nova eruption, called a classical nova, which likely occurred a few thousand years ago. In exploding binary systems, one of the two stars steals material from the other until it builds up to a certain level, at that point, the system erupts in a giant inferno. In the case of Z Cam, the white dwarf is pilfering material from its sedate companion. There are two classes of exploding binary star systems, or cataclysmic variables: recurrent dwarf novae, which erupt in small, "hiccup-like" blasts episodically, and classical novae, which undergo huge explosions thousands of times more powerful than dwarf novae. Z Cam was the one of the first known recurrent dwarf novae. Yet the shell of ionized gas around Z Cam detected by the Galaxy Evolution Explorer can only be explained as the remnant of a full-blown classical nova explosion. The discovery of the shell provides the first evidence that some binary systems undergo both types of explosions. Previously, a link between the two types of novae had been predicted, but there was no evidence to support the theory. The Galaxy Evolution Explorer first began imaging Z Cam in 2003, this image was taken on Jan. 25, 2004. The type of emission found around Z Cam is most easily visible at far-ultraviolet wavelengths. Most of the background galaxies and stars have been eliminated by the image processing, although a few linger as white spots near the top. The light-blue streaky clump in the bottom right corner is created by ultraviolet light reflected by dust. It is uncertain if Z Cam is the source of the dust-scattered light. |
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Ghostly Remnant of an Explos
…
PIA09219
Far-ultraviolet Detector
| Title |
Ghostly Remnant of an Explosive Past |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
This enhanced image from the far-ultraviolet detector on NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer shows a ghostly shell of ionized gas around Z Camelopardalis, a binary, or double-star system featuring a collapsed, dead star known as a white dwarf, and a companion star. The image was processed to enhance the diffuse emissions from the shell. Z Cam is the bright object near the center of the image. Parts of the shell are seen as a lobe-like, light-blue feature below and to the right of Z Cam, and as two large, light blue, perpendicular lines on the left. The massive shell around Z Cam provides evidence of material ejected during and swept up by a powerful nova eruption, called a classical nova, which likely occurred a few thousand years ago. In exploding binary systems, one of the two stars steals material from the other until it builds up to a certain level, at that point, the system erupts in a giant inferno. In the case of Z Cam, the white dwarf is pilfering material from its sedate companion. There are two classes of exploding binary star systems, or cataclysmic variables: recurrent dwarf novae, which erupt in small, "hiccup-like" blasts episodically, and classical novae, which undergo huge explosions thousands of times more powerful than dwarf novae. Z Cam was the one of the first known recurrent dwarf novae. Yet the shell of ionized gas around Z Cam detected by the Galaxy Evolution Explorer can only be explained as the remnant of a full-blown classical nova explosion. The discovery of the shell provides the first evidence that some binary systems undergo both types of explosions. Previously, a link between the two types of novae had been predicted, but there was no evidence to support the theory. The Galaxy Evolution Explorer first began imaging Z Cam in 2003, this image was taken on Jan. 25, 2004. The type of emission found around Z Cam is most easily visible at far-ultraviolet wavelengths. Most of the background galaxies and stars have been eliminated by the image processing, although a few linger as white spots near the top. The light-blue streaky clump in the bottom right corner is created by ultraviolet light reflected by dust. It is uncertain if Z Cam is the source of the dust-scattered light. |
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Ghostly Remnant of an Explos
…
PIA09219
Far-ultraviolet Detector
| Title |
Ghostly Remnant of an Explosive Past |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
This enhanced image from the far-ultraviolet detector on NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer shows a ghostly shell of ionized gas around Z Camelopardalis, a binary, or double-star system featuring a collapsed, dead star known as a white dwarf, and a companion star. The image was processed to enhance the diffuse emissions from the shell. Z Cam is the bright object near the center of the image. Parts of the shell are seen as a lobe-like, light-blue feature below and to the right of Z Cam, and as two large, light blue, perpendicular lines on the left. The massive shell around Z Cam provides evidence of material ejected during and swept up by a powerful nova eruption, called a classical nova, which likely occurred a few thousand years ago. In exploding binary systems, one of the two stars steals material from the other until it builds up to a certain level, at that point, the system erupts in a giant inferno. In the case of Z Cam, the white dwarf is pilfering material from its sedate companion. There are two classes of exploding binary star systems, or cataclysmic variables: recurrent dwarf novae, which erupt in small, "hiccup-like" blasts episodically, and classical novae, which undergo huge explosions thousands of times more powerful than dwarf novae. Z Cam was the one of the first known recurrent dwarf novae. Yet the shell of ionized gas around Z Cam detected by the Galaxy Evolution Explorer can only be explained as the remnant of a full-blown classical nova explosion. The discovery of the shell provides the first evidence that some binary systems undergo both types of explosions. Previously, a link between the two types of novae had been predicted, but there was no evidence to support the theory. The Galaxy Evolution Explorer first began imaging Z Cam in 2003, this image was taken on Jan. 25, 2004. The type of emission found around Z Cam is most easily visible at far-ultraviolet wavelengths. Most of the background galaxies and stars have been eliminated by the image processing, although a few linger as white spots near the top. The light-blue streaky clump in the bottom right corner is created by ultraviolet light reflected by dust. It is uncertain if Z Cam is the source of the dust-scattered light. |
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Ghostly Remnant of an Explos
…
PIA09219
Far-ultraviolet Detector
| Title |
Ghostly Remnant of an Explosive Past |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
This enhanced image from the far-ultraviolet detector on NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer shows a ghostly shell of ionized gas around Z Camelopardalis, a binary, or double-star system featuring a collapsed, dead star known as a white dwarf, and a companion star. The image was processed to enhance the diffuse emissions from the shell. Z Cam is the bright object near the center of the image. Parts of the shell are seen as a lobe-like, light-blue feature below and to the right of Z Cam, and as two large, light blue, perpendicular lines on the left. The massive shell around Z Cam provides evidence of material ejected during and swept up by a powerful nova eruption, called a classical nova, which likely occurred a few thousand years ago. In exploding binary systems, one of the two stars steals material from the other until it builds up to a certain level, at that point, the system erupts in a giant inferno. In the case of Z Cam, the white dwarf is pilfering material from its sedate companion. There are two classes of exploding binary star systems, or cataclysmic variables: recurrent dwarf novae, which erupt in small, "hiccup-like" blasts episodically, and classical novae, which undergo huge explosions thousands of times more powerful than dwarf novae. Z Cam was the one of the first known recurrent dwarf novae. Yet the shell of ionized gas around Z Cam detected by the Galaxy Evolution Explorer can only be explained as the remnant of a full-blown classical nova explosion. The discovery of the shell provides the first evidence that some binary systems undergo both types of explosions. Previously, a link between the two types of novae had been predicted, but there was no evidence to support the theory. The Galaxy Evolution Explorer first began imaging Z Cam in 2003, this image was taken on Jan. 25, 2004. The type of emission found around Z Cam is most easily visible at far-ultraviolet wavelengths. Most of the background galaxies and stars have been eliminated by the image processing, although a few linger as white spots near the top. The light-blue streaky clump in the bottom right corner is created by ultraviolet light reflected by dust. It is uncertain if Z Cam is the source of the dust-scattered light. |
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Explosions - Large and Small
PIA09221
| Title |
Explosions - Large and Small |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
"" Click on the image for full resolution animation (""Half Resolution) This animation shows an artist's concept of Z Camelopardalis (Z Cam), a stellar system featuring a collapsed, dead star, or white dwarf, and a companion star. The white dwarf, the bright white object within the disk on the left, sucks matter from its more sedate companion star, on the right. The stolen material forms a rotating disk of gas and dust around the white dwarf. After a certain amount of material accumulates, the star erupts in a huge nova explosion, known as a "classical nova." After that explosion, the star continues to flare up with smaller bursts, which is why Z Cam is known today as a recurrent dwarf Nova. The remnants of the classical nova explosion form a ghostly shell, which provides lingering evidence of the violent outburst. The animation ends with an image taken by NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer on Jan. 25, 2004, when the star system was undergoing a period of relative calm. Astronomers divide exploding binary star systems into two classes -- recurrent dwarf novae, which erupt in smaller, "hiccup-like" blasts, and classical novae, which undergo huge explosions. A link between the two types of novae had been predicted, but the observations from the Galaxy Evolution Explorer bolster the theory that some binary systems undergo both types of explosions. |
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Explosions - Large and Small
PIA09221
| Title |
Explosions - Large and Small |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
"" Click on the image for full resolution animation (""Half Resolution) This animation shows an artist's concept of Z Camelopardalis (Z Cam), a stellar system featuring a collapsed, dead star, or white dwarf, and a companion star. The white dwarf, the bright white object within the disk on the left, sucks matter from its more sedate companion star, on the right. The stolen material forms a rotating disk of gas and dust around the white dwarf. After a certain amount of material accumulates, the star erupts in a huge nova explosion, known as a "classical nova." After that explosion, the star continues to flare up with smaller bursts, which is why Z Cam is known today as a recurrent dwarf Nova. The remnants of the classical nova explosion form a ghostly shell, which provides lingering evidence of the violent outburst. The animation ends with an image taken by NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer on Jan. 25, 2004, when the star system was undergoing a period of relative calm. Astronomers divide exploding binary star systems into two classes -- recurrent dwarf novae, which erupt in smaller, "hiccup-like" blasts, and classical novae, which undergo huge explosions. A link between the two types of novae had been predicted, but the observations from the Galaxy Evolution Explorer bolster the theory that some binary systems undergo both types of explosions. |
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