What are the yellow-colored “clouds” to the right of the star?
These “clouds” are a ridge of much denser gas. The lower left portion of this ridge is the brightest because it is closest to the star. But the star’s intense ultraviolet light and its strong “wind” of material is heating and eroding this area the fastest. The region between the star and the ridge reveals several loops and arcs that have never been seen before. Hubble’s sharp resolution allows astronomers to examine these features in greater detail. Astronomers are uncertain about the origin of this “bubble-within-a-bubble.” It may be due to a collision of two distinct winds of material. The star’s intense wind may be colliding with material streaming off the ridge of gas, which the star’s intense radiation is heating and eroding.
Related Questions
- What is meant by right ascension and declination of a star, how does this differ from altitude and azimuth?
- Are giant molecular clouds, of a million solar masses or more, the most important sites for star formation?
- What does the yellow star in the top right hand corner of some stickers in my inventory mean?