韦伯的南环状星云

2022年7月14日

Webb’s Southern Ring Nebula
Image Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, NIRCam

Explanation: Cataloged as NGC 3132 the Southern Ring Nebula is a planetary nebula, the death shroud of a dying sun-like star some 2,500 light-years from Earth. Composed of gas and dust the stunning cosmic landscape is nearly half a light-year in diameter, explored in unprecedented detail by the James Webb Space Telescope. In this NIRCam image the bright star near center is a companion of the dying star. In mutual orbit, the star whose transformation has ejected the nebula’s gas and dust shells over thousands of years is the fainter stellar partner. Evolving to become a white dwarf, the faint star appears along the diffraction spike extending toward the 8 o’clock position. This stellar pair’s orbital motion has resulted the complex structures within the Southern Ring Nebula.

Tomorrow’s picture: Full Moon

韦伯的南环状星云
影像提供: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, NIRCam

说明: 编录号为NGC 3132的南环状星云，是一颗离地球约2,500光年远的类太阳恒星，在垂死之时，抛出了外层气壳所形成的行星状星云。主成分为气体和尘埃、直径将近半光年的这团宇宙星云，最近由韦伯太空望远镜进行了前所未有的详细探索。在这幅近红光相机影像里，靠近中心的明亮恒星，是那颗垂死恒星的伴星。在循轨互绕的双星之中，数千年里发生变身并抛掷出星云壳状的气体与尘埃之恒星，反而是较暗的那颗伴星。将演化成白矮星的这颗昏暗恒星，位在8点钟衍射峰延伸的方向。除此之外，这对恒星的轨道运动，也造就了南环状星云内的复杂结构。

明日的图片: Full Moon