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Mass Star and Smaller Companion Create Vast Gas Disk (Artist’s Illustration)
This artist's illustration reveals a vast disk of gas surrounding a massive, bright Wolf-Rayet star (shown at center). A close companion star is pulling gas from the Wolf-Rayet, shown by the bridge of bright material connecting the two stars. This act of celestial cannibalism exposes the massive star's hot, helium core. Some of the material, however, is escaping into space, forming the huge disk. This disk structure has never been seen before around a Wolf-Rayet star.
About the Data
- Data DescriptionData DescriptionProposal: A description of the observations, their scientific justification, and the links to the data available in the science archive.
Science Team: The astronomers who planned the observations and analyzed the data. "PI" refers to the Principal Investigator.Data of WR 122 were obtained from the HST proposal 13034: J. Mauerhan (University of California, Berkeley), N. Smith (Steward Observatory/University of Arizona), and S. Van Dyk (IPAC/Caltech). The science team comprises: J. Mauerhan (University of California, Berkeley), N. Smith (Steward Observatory/University of Arizona), S. Van Dyk (IPAC/Caltech), K. Morzinski, L. Close, P. Hinz, and J. Males (Steward Observatory/University of Arizona), and T. Rodigas (Carnegie Institute of Washington).
- Release DateMay 21, 2015
- Science ReleaseHubble Observes One-of-a-Kind Star Nicknamed ‘Nasty’
- Credit
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Hubble Spies Vast Gas Disk around Unique Massive Star
This visible-light image taken by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope reveals a pancake-shaped disk of gas around an extremely bright star in our Milky Way galaxy. The disk glows brightly in the light of ionized nitrogen. The central star is nicknamed "Nasty 1," derived from its...
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Last Updated
Mar 28, 2025
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Media
Claire Andreoli
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
claire.andreoli@nasa.gov
