X Ray Stars and Winds in the Rosette Nebula
Explanation:
This mosaic of x-ray images
cuts a
swath across the photogenic
Rosette Nebula, a stellar nursery 5,000 light-years from Earth
in the constellation Monoceros,
the
Unicorn.
Constructed from data recorded by the orbiting
Chandra X-ray Observatory,
the mosaic spans less than 100 light-years and is color
coded to show low energies in red and high energy x-rays in blue.
At the upper right is the young star cluster
NGC 2244, central to
the
Rosette Nebula itself.
The hot outer layers of the massive stars are seen to be copious
sources
of x-rays, but a diffuse x-ray glow
also pervades this cluster of newborn stars.
Since these stars are so young (less than few million years old!) the diffuse
x-ray emission is thought to powered by energetic,
colliding
stellar
winds rather
than remnants of
supernovae explosions,
a final act in the
life cycle
of a massive star.
Moving away from the center, south and east across the nebula
(upper right to lower left),
the hot,
blustery environment gives way to
dense molecular gas, absorbing low energy x-rays
while revealing the penetrating high energy x-rays from embedded stars.
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.
