Hubble Image Shows What A Dying Sun-Like Star Looks Like
- 8 years ago
The Hubble Space Telescope recently captured an image which shows the "colorful demise" of a sun-like star.
The Hubble Space Telescope recently captured an image which shows the "colorful demise" of a sun-like star.
According to NASA, "The star is ending its life by casting off its outer layers of gas, which formed a cocoon around the star's remaining core. Ultraviolet light from the dying star makes the material glow. The burned-out star, called a white dwarf, is the white dot in the center."
It is located about 4,000 light-years from Earth.
The agency further notes, "The planetary nebula in this image is called NGC 2440. The white dwarf at the center of NGC 2440 is one of the hottest known, with a surface temperature of more than 360,000 degrees Fahrenheit...The nebula's chaotic structure suggests that the star shed its mass episodically. During each outburst, the star expelled material in a different direction. This can be seen in the two bowtie-shaped lobes. The nebula also is rich in clouds of dust, some of which form long, dark streaks pointing away from the star."
Our sun will ultimately burn out as well but no need for immediate concern as that will happen after about 5 billion years.
The Hubble Space Telescope recently captured an image which shows the "colorful demise" of a sun-like star.
According to NASA, "The star is ending its life by casting off its outer layers of gas, which formed a cocoon around the star's remaining core. Ultraviolet light from the dying star makes the material glow. The burned-out star, called a white dwarf, is the white dot in the center."
It is located about 4,000 light-years from Earth.
The agency further notes, "The planetary nebula in this image is called NGC 2440. The white dwarf at the center of NGC 2440 is one of the hottest known, with a surface temperature of more than 360,000 degrees Fahrenheit...The nebula's chaotic structure suggests that the star shed its mass episodically. During each outburst, the star expelled material in a different direction. This can be seen in the two bowtie-shaped lobes. The nebula also is rich in clouds of dust, some of which form long, dark streaks pointing away from the star."
Our sun will ultimately burn out as well but no need for immediate concern as that will happen after about 5 billion years.