The Hubble Space Telescope has captured a stunning image of a star-forming region known as Sharpless 2-106, nicknamed the 'celestial snow angel' for its distinctive shape. The image reveals the violent birth of a star, with jets of energetic material ejected from its poles and creating intricate details in the surrounding gas and dust.
This stunning image from the Hubble Space Telescope depicts a star-forming region called Sharpless 2-106 , or S106 for short. Characterized by its'wings,' it is classified as a bipolar nebula and affectionately nicknamed the'celestial snow angel.' The star-forming region, which is about 2 light-years wide, is located in a relatively isolated area of the Milky Way. Although this image appears peaceful, it actually reflects the violent beginnings of stellar evolution.
The majestic structure is created by a massive young star named S106 IR, which has a mass 15 times that of the sun. This star is in the final stages of its formation, ejecting jets of energetic material at high speeds from its poles and disrupting the surrounding gas and dust. Still embedded in its parent cloud, S106 IR expels high-speed material, which gives the cloud a striking appearance. The expelled material also heats the surrounding gas to temperatures of up to 18,000 degrees Fahrenheit (10,000 degrees Celsius) and ionizes hydrogen gas, causing it to glow. This dynamic process creates intricate details that are clearly visible in the image. The twin lobes of blazing-hot gas on each side of the star (blue in the image) expand from its center, creating the'wings' of the angel. A thick, red lane of dust separates the regions of superhot gas and consists of cooler, dark material that gives S106 a unique hourglass shape
HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE STAR FORMATION NEBULA SHARPLESS 2-106 ASTRONOMY
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Moon quiz: What do you know about our nearest celestial neighbor?Christina is a freelancer writer and editor from the UK. She has a degree in English Language and Literature with geography from the University of Keele, and a Masters in Publishing from Anglia Ruskin University. She covers everything from Lego sets and science kits through to laptops for students.
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