HH111's 12 Light-Year Star Jet
Explanation:
The complex interactions of three stars in the
Orion B molecular cloud complex have resulted
in the ejection of particles along a 12
light-year long jet.
One of the stars in the
HH111 system has apparently also been ejected
leaving two stars tightly bound in a
binary orbit.
The spectacular
jet
emanates from one of these two stars.
The
complete system is quite complex and involves
another less-luminous jet and disks of rapidly rotation gas.
In the top part of
this Hubble Space Telescope image taken in visible light,
successive bubbles are seen to move along the jet.
At the bottom in
infrared light, a
torus of dark
dust and gas from
which the stars formed millions of years ago can be seen.
Protons and
electrons zip along near 500 kilometers per second in the
HH111 jet, which is about 1500 light-years away.
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.
