A new image of the Rosette Nebula is dark energy camera (DECam), mounted on NSF's Victor M. Blanco 4-meter telescope. Cerro Tololo Interamerican Observatory Program of NOIRLab, Chile.
Nestled within the fiery petals of the Rosette Nebula is NGC 2244, a young star cluster that the Rosette Nebula nurtured. Image credits: CTIO / NOIRLab / DOE / NSF / AURA / TA University of Alaska Anchorage Chancellor and NSF's NOIRLab / D. de Martin and M. Zamani, NSF's NOIRLab.
of rosette nebula It exists in the constellation Monoceros, about 5,000 light-years from Earth.
Also known as Caldwell 49, CTB 21, SH 2-275, or W 16, the object spans 1.3 degrees in the sky, about the width of your index finger at arm's length.
The diameter of the rosette nebula is 130 light years — More than five times the size of the Orion Nebula.
The former are four times as far apart, so their apparent sizes are similar.
“As striking as the nebula's 'petals' is the striking absence of gas at its center,” NOIRLab astronomers said in a statement.
“The culprits who drilled this hollow core are the most massive stars. NGC2244 -An open star cluster nurtured by a nebula. ”
“This cluster was formed about 2 million years ago after the nebula's gases coalesced into clumps due to their mutual gravity.”
“Eventually, some of the clumps grew into giant stars, producing stellar winds powerful enough to punch a hole in the center of the nebula.”
“NGC 2244's massive star also emits ultraviolet light, which ionizes the surrounding hydrogen gas and illuminates the nebula with vibrant colors,” the astronomers said.
“The undulating red cloud is a region of H-alpha radiation originating from high-energy hydrogen atoms that emit red light.”
“Along the walls of the central cavity and closer to the central giant star, the radiation has enough energy to ionize heavy atoms like oxygen, causing it to glow in shades of gold or yellow.”
“Finally, along the edges of the petals, thin tendrils of deep pink glow with light emitted from the ionized silicon.”
The bright, glowing features of the Rosette Nebula are certainly impressive. But its dark and shadowy features also attract attention.
“Surrounding the excavated core of this nebula is a series of dark clouds called 'elephant trunks', so named because of their trunk-like pillars,” the researchers said. .
“These structures are opaque because they contain invisible dust and form a boundary between the hot shell of ionized hydrogen and the cold hydrogen surrounding environment.”
“As the shell expands outward, it encounters a cold, clumpy gas that resists its push.”
“This forms an elongated trunk, the length of which extends like fingers towards the central cluster.”
“One of these dark features is the wrench trunk: its claw-like head visible in the upper right corner of the central cluster.”
“Unlike the typical Pillar of Creation trunk, which stands like a straight column, the wrench's 'handle' has an unusual spiral shape that traces the nebula's magnetic field.”
“Less obvious, but equally interesting, is the dark globlet.”
“These tiny dust clumps, sometimes round and sometimes teardrop-shaped, are smaller than the familiar globules and have a mass just a few times that of Jupiter.”
“We see a series of them near Wrench Trunk, but hundreds more are scattered throughout the Rosette Nebula.”
“These spherules could contain brown dwarfs or planets.”
“In about 10 million years, radiation from the hot, young stars in the NGC 2244 cluster will obliterate the nebula.”
“By then, the rosette will be gone and the giant stars will be left without their parent clouds.”
Source: www.sci.news
