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TOPIC: The Red Square nebula

Blobrana

L

Posts: 131433

Date: Apr 13 08:58 2007

A symmetric bipolar nebula around MWC 922	Permalink

Astronomers announced the arrival of a new member in the pantheon of exotically beautiful celestial objects. Christened the "Red Square" by Peter Tuthill, leader of the team, the image was compiled with data from the 200-inch Hale Telescope at Palomar Observatory, owned and operated by the California Institute of Technology, and the Keck II telescope atop Mauna Kea, Hawaii. The findings appear in the April 13 2007 edition of the journal Science in an article titled "A symmetric bipolar nebula around MWC 922," written by Tuthill from the University of Sydney and coauthor James Lloyd of Cornell University. "Discoveries as beautiful--and interesting--as this one don't come around very often in astronomy, and it took some of the world's most advanced telescopes, together with a good dose of luck, to find this jewel hidden among the myriad stars in the galaxy" - Peter Tuthill. "The key to finding it was in the revolutionary new imaging technology of adaptive optics, which acts like a myopia cure for a telescope. Startlingly clear images capable of revealing objects like this are now possible without the blurring" - James Lloyd. The pair were studying a hot star called MWC 922 in the constellation Serpens (the serpent mythologically associated with the origin of medicine). Read more __________________

Blobrana

L

Posts: 131433

Date: Apr 12 18:36 2007

MWC 922	Permalink

A newly discovered nebula, called the 'Red Square', displays a dazzling, gem-like symmetry, new observations reveal. But the nature of the star or stars that produced it remains a mystery. Towards the end of their lives, many low-mass stars, like the Sun, slough off their outer layers to produce striking 'planetary' nebulae. But the hot star at the heart of the Red Square nebula, called MWC 922, appears to be relatively massive, suggesting another process formed its signature shape. Read more __________________

Blobrana

L

Posts: 131433

Date: Apr 12 18:13 2007

The Red Square nebula	Permalink

Who would have thought a ball of dust and gas could be so beautiful? The just-discovered nebula, dubbed "The Red Square", has amazed astronomers with its rare symmetrical appearance. They are excited by the possibility of a supernova. The University of Sydney team, led by Dr Peter Tuthill, and astronomers from Cornell University in New York are thrilled with the discovery. Expand (345kb, 1024 x 768) Image Peter Tuthill Read more __________________

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