The Red Rectangle Nebula from Hubble
Explanation:
How was the unusual Red Rectangle nebula created?
At the nebula's center is a young
binary star system
that surely powers the nebula but does not, as yet, explain its colors.
The unusual shape of the
Red Rectangle is likely
due to a thick dust torus which pinches the otherwise spherical
outflow into tip-touching
cone shapes.
Because we view the torus edge-on, the boundary edges of the
cone shapes
seem to form an
X.
The distinct rungs suggest the outflow occurs in fits and starts.
The unusual colors of the nebula are
less well understood, however, and current speculation holds that they are partly
provided by
hydrocarbon molecules that may actually be
building blocks for organic life.
The
Red Rectangle nebula lies about 2,300 light years away
towards
the constellation of the Unicorn (Monoceros).
The nebula is
shown above in unprecedented detail as captured recently by the
Hubble Space Telescope.
In a few million years, as one of the central stars becomes
further depleted of
nuclear fuel, the Red Rectangle nebula will likely bloom into a
planetary 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.
