Supersonic space shocks caught on camera

Discussion in 'Astronomy, Exobiology, & Cosmology' started by wet1, Aug 27, 2001.

  1. wet1 Wanderer Registered Senior Member

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    From Newscientist:

    Supersonic space shocks caught on camera
    The Hubble space telescope has captured the first clear image of supersonic shock fronts produced during the death of a star.
    The picture proves that astronomers' computer models of gas collisions during a star's death throes are correct. The image also shows the way that Earth's own Sun may eventually expire.
    "This is the first time that these shock components have been seen clearly in such a nebula," says Valentin Bujarrabal from the Observatorio Astronomico Nacional in Spain. "The deep, high-resolution images show the complex structure of the shocks in great detail, which we can now compare with predictions from computer models."

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    The gas ejected by a star at the end of its life can reach speeds of up to 2.4 million kilometres per hour. It is this tremendous speed that generates shock fronts as the gas collides with surrounding matter.
    The Hubble space telescope produced the image using four different filters, one of which isolated light from ionised hydrogen and nitrogen atoms, shown as blue in the new image. This highlights the warmest parts of the nebula, heated by the violent shock fronts. Much of the gas flow revealed in the image is believed to have been caused by a sudden acceleration only 800 years ago.
    The Hubble image shows a planetary nebula known to astronomers as OH231.8+4.2. The nebula has been nicknamed the Rotten Egg Nebula, because of the large amount of sulphur compounds it contains. It is more than 4000 light years away from earth and 1.4 light years in diameter.
     
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  3. Cris In search of Immortality Valued Senior Member

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    Nice pic.
     
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  5. wet1 Wanderer Registered Senior Member

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    The old saying goes that a picture is worth a thousand words. I have always believed that to be so.
     
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