A cosmic lightsabre
The two lightsabre-like streams crossing the image are jets of energised gas, ejected from the poles of a young star. If the jets collide with the surrounding gas and dust they can clear vast spaces, and create curved shock waves, seen as knotted clumps called Herbig-Haro objects.
Credit:ESA/Hubble & NASA, D. Padgett (GSFC), T. Megeath (University of Toledo), and B. Reipurth (University of Hawaii)
About the Image
| Id: | heic1526a |
|---|---|
| Type: | Observation |
| Release date: | 17 December 2015, 16:00 |
| Related releases: | heic1526 |
| Size: | 1028 x 1218 px |
About the Object
| Name: | HH 24 |
|---|---|
| Type: | Milky Way : Star : Evolutionary Stage : Young Stellar Object |
| Distance: | 1500 light years |
| Constellation: | Orion |
| Category: | Stars |
Wallpapers
Coordinates
| Position (RA): | 5 46 9.14 |
|---|---|
| Position (Dec): | 0° 10' 7.77" |
| Field of view: | 1.72 x 2.04 arcminutes |
| Orientation: | North is 10.3° left of vertical |
View in ESASky:
View in WorldWide Telescope:
Colours & filters
| Band | Wavelength | Telescope |
|---|---|---|
| Infrared I | 801 nm |
Hubble Space Telescope
WFPC2 |
| Infrared Pseudo (814W+Fe II) | Hubble Space Telescope | |
| Infrared Fe II | 1.64 μm |
Hubble Space Telescope
WFC3 |
| Infrared H | 1.537 μm |
Hubble Space Telescope
WFC3 |