HH-47 Star Jet
Credit & Copyright: NASA,
HST, WFPC 2, J. Morse
Explanation:
The star masked by a
dust cloud at the left of the above
photo is expelling
an energetic beam of charged particles into interstellar space. This
jet,
moving from left to right, has burrowed through much interstellar
material, and now expands out into the interstellar space. Although jet
particles move at nearly three hundred kilometers per
second ,
we still do not see any daily
movement because of the enormous distances involved. In fact, the jet is
trillions of kilometers long. This stellar jet occurs in a system called
HH-47 which is located near the edge of the Gum Nebula.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
