APOD
Astronomy Picture of the Day
Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
Bubbles and Arcs in NGC 2359
Explanation: Explanation : What caused the bubbles and arcs in NGC 2359? The main suspect is the Wolf-Rayet star in the center of one of the bubbles - visible slightly below and to the right of the center of the above photograph . Most Wolf-Rayet stars are known to be massive, highly luminous stars that continually cast off material in a stellar wind - which commonly form bubbles in the interstellar medium . But the unusual structure of the NGC 2359 arcs indicate something more complex is going on. Is the star moving supersonically ? Is there another energetic star in the vicinity? Future observations may give more pieces to this picturesque puzzle.
| Date | January 2, 1997 |
|---|---|
| Credit | Credit and Copyright: P. Berlind & P. Challis (CfA), 1.2-m Telescope, Whipple Obs. |
| Authors & editors: | Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP) |
| A service of: |
ASD at NASA / GSFC, NASA Science Activation & Michigan Tech. U. |