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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.
LDN 1471: A Windblown Star Cavity
Explanation: What is the cause of this unusual parabolic structure? This illuminated cavity, known as LDN 1471 , was created by a newly forming star , seen as the bright source at the peak of the parabola . This protostar is experiencing a stellar outflow which is then interacting with the surrounding material in the Perseus Molecular Cloud , causing it to brighten. We see only one side of the cavity -- the other side is hidden by dark dust . The parabolic shape is caused by the widening of the stellar-wind blown cavity over time. Two additional structures can also be seen either side of the protostar ; these are known as Herbig-Haro object s, again caused by the interaction of the outflow with the surrounding material. What causes the striations on the cavity walls, though, remains unknown . The featured image was taken by NASA and ESA's Hubble Space Telescope after an original detection by the Spitzer Space Telescope .
Explore Your Universe: Random APOD Generator
| Date | November 17, 2024 |
|---|---|
| Credit | Image Credit: Hubble , NASA , ESA ; Processing & License: Judy Schmidt |
| Authors & editors: | Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP) |
| A service of: |
ASD at NASA / GSFC, NASA Science Activation & Michigan Tech. U. |