Ou4：巨型乌贼星云
(原标题: Ou4: The Giant Squid Nebula)
2022-10-12
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一个神秘的鱿鱼状宇宙云，这个星云非常微弱，但在地球的天空中也非常大。在这张由30小时的窄带图像数据组成的图像中，它跨越了近三个满月，朝向仙王座。2011年，法国天文成像仪Nicolas Outters发现了乌贼星云，它的双极性形状可以通过双电离氧原子发出的蓝绿色辐射来区分。虽然乌贼星云明显被红色的氢发射区Sh2-129所包围，但它的真实距离和性质很难确定。不过，最近的一项研究表明，Ou4确实位于距离我们2300光年远的Sh2-129内。与这一假设相一致的是，宇宙乌贼代表了一个壮观的物质外流，它是由一个由热的大质量恒星组成的三重系统驱动的，编号为HR8119，位于星云中心附近。如果是这样的话，这个真正的巨型乌贼星云的物理直径将超过50光年。
查看原文解释
A mysterious squid-like cosmic cloud, this nebula is very faint, but also very large in planet Earth's sky. In the image, composed with 30 hours of narrowband image data, it spans nearly three full moons toward the royal constellation Cepheus. Discovered in 2011 by French astro-imager Nicolas Outters, the Squid Nebula's bipolar shape is distinguished here by the telltale blue-green emission from doubly ionized oxygen atoms. Though apparently surrounded by the reddish hydrogen emission region Sh2-129, the true distance and nature of the Squid Nebula have been difficult to determine. Still, a more recent investigation suggests Ou4 really does lie within Sh2-129 some 2,300 light-years away. Consistent with that scenario, the cosmic squid would represent a spectacular outflow of material driven by a triple system of hot, massive stars, cataloged as HR8119, seen near the center of the nebula. If so, this truly giant squid nebula would physically be over 50 light-years across.
© Tommy Lease