哈勃拍摄的蝴蝶星云
(原标题: The Butterfly Nebula from Hubble)
2022-11-21
浏览次数: 13
随着年龄的增长，星星可以形成美丽的图案——有时类似于花朵或昆虫。蝴蝶星云NGC 6302就是一个著名的例子。尽管它的气体翼展覆盖了3光年，其表面温度估计超过了20万摄氏度，NGC 6302的中心恒星已经变得异常炎热，在可见光和紫外光下发出明亮的光芒，但由于密集的尘埃环面而无法直接观察。这张清晰的特写是由哈勃太空望远镜拍摄的，在这里经过处理，展示了这个复杂的行星状星云的非凡细节，特别突出了氧（蓝色）、氢（绿色）和氮（红色）发出的光。NGC 6302位于大约3500光年外的天蝎座（天蝎座）。行星状星云是从太阳等恒星的外层大气演化而来的，但通常会在大约2万年后消失。
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Stars can make beautiful patterns as they age -- sometimes similar to flowers or insects. NGC 6302, the Butterfly Nebula, is a notable example. Though its gaseous wingspan covers over 3 light-years and its estimated surface temperature exceeds 200,000 degrees C, the aging central star of NGC 6302, the featured planetary nebula, has become exceptionally hot, shining brightly in visible and ultraviolet light but hidden from direct view by a dense torus of dust. This sharp close-up was recorded by the Hubble Space Telescope and is processed here to show off remarkable details of the complex planetary nebula, highlighting in particular light emitted by oxygen (shown as blue), hydrogen (green), and nitrogen (red). NGC 6302 lies about 3,500 light-years away in the arachnologically correct constellation of the Scorpion (Scorpius). Planetary nebulas evolve from outer atmospheres of stars like our Sun, but usually fade in about 20,000 years.