Jets from the Necklace Nebula
Explanation:
What celestial body wears the Necklace Nebula?
First, analyses indicate that
the Necklace is a
planetary nebula,
a gas cloud emitted by a
star toward the end of its life.
Also, what appears to be
diamonds
in the Necklace are actually bright
knots of glowing gas.
In the center of the Necklace Nebula are likely
two stars orbiting so
close together that they
share a common atmosphere and appear as one in the
featured image by the
Hubble Space Telescope.
The red-glowing gas clouds on the upper left and lower right
are the results of
jets from the center.
Exactly when and how the bright jets formed remains a
topic
of
research.
The Necklace Nebula is only about 5,000 years old, spans about 5
light years,
and can best be found with a
large telescope toward the direction of the constellation of the Arrow
(Sagitta).
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.
