The N44 Superbubble
Explanation:
What created this gigantic hole?
The vast emission nebula
N44
in our neighboring galaxy the
Large Magellanic Cloud has a large, 250
light-year hole and astronomers are trying to figure out why.
One possibility is
particle winds
expelled by massive stars in the
bubble's interior that are pushing out the
glowing gas.
This answer was
found to be inconsistent with measured wind velocities, however.
Another possibility is that the expanding shells of old
supernovas
have sculpted the unusual space cavern.
An unexpected clue of hot
X-ray
emitting gas was recently been detected escaping the
N44 superbubble.
The
featured image was taken in
three very specific colors by the
huge 8-meter
Gemini South Telescope on
Cerro Pachon in
Chile.
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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.
