In the Vicinity of the Cone Nebula
2019 April 16
In the Vicinity of the Cone Nebula
Image Credit: Chilescope; Processing & Copyright: Utkarsh Mishra
Explanation: Strange shapes and textures can be found in neighborhood of the Cone Nebula. The unusual shapes originate from fine interstellar dust reacting in complex ways with the energetic light and hot gas being expelled by the young stars. The brightest star on the right of the featured picture is S Mon, while the region just below it has been nicknamed the Fox Fur Nebula for its color and structure. The blue glow directly surrounding S Mon results from reflection, where neighboring dust reflects light from the bright star. The red glow that encompasses the whole region results not only from dust reflection but also emission from hydrogen gas ionized by starlight. S Mon is part of a young open cluster of stars named NGC 2264, located about 2500 light years away toward the constellation of the Unicorn (Monoceros). Even though it points right at S Mon, details of the origin of the mysterious geometric Cone Nebula, visible on the far left, remain a mystery.
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[…] 说明: 恒星正形成于锥状星云内的庞大尘埃柱里。在恒星育婴室里，诞生恒星的云气和尘埃云受到新恒星高速恒星风之吹袭，常会形成许多锥状物、云柱和壮观且具有流动感的结构。著名的范例之一，是位于明亮庞大的银河恒星形成区NGC 2264之内的锥状星云。上面这幅具有前所未见解晰度的锥状星云特写组合影像，组合自数张哈勃太空望远镜照片。虽然位在麒麟座内、距离我们约有2,500光年远的锥状星云，长达7光年，不过上面这张影像所呈现的锥顶区，跨幅大约只有2.5光年。于我们所在的旋臂颈部区上，这个距离只比太阳和恒星近邻南门二的间距之半要多一点而已。 1997年哈伯红外线相机所侦测到的、位于此影像顶缘之外的大质量恒星NGC 2264 IRS，可能就是雕塑椎状星云的恒星风之源头。锥状星云外裹的泛红薄纱，则是尘埃和氢气云所发出的辉光。 […]
[…] 说明: 你找得到玫瑰星云吗？左上方那团又大又红、乍看像花朵的星云，或许是最显而易见的选择，不过，它只是围拱锥状星云和狐皮星云的弥漫氢辐射。著名的玫瑰星云（NGC 2237）其实位于右下方，以不规则的云气丝与其他星云相连。由于这幅玫瑰星云主题影像极宽且深邃，故里头看似有众多的其他花朵状云气。NGC 2237的中心座落着由众多泛蓝亮星构成、编录号为NGC 2244的疏散星团，而它们所发出的恒星风和高能星光正在清空此星云的中心。玫瑰星云距离地球约5,000光年远，其跨幅则约为满月的3倍。影像中的这片繁花遍布的星野，位于麒麟（独角兽）座方向。 […]