Subscribe free to our newsletters via your
. 24/7 Space News .




STELLAR CHEMISTRY
NOAO: NGC 2346 - A Cosmic Butterfly's Delicate Wings
by Staff Writers
Tucson AZ (SPX) Jul 10, 2015


The new image of NGC 2346 showing unprecedented resolution of the molecular hydrogen gas. The image is about 1 arc minute on a side: north is up, east is to the left. In contrast, the size of the full moon is 30 arc minutes. For a larger version of this image please go here.

NOAO scientists, using the Gemini Observatory 8-meter telescope in Chile, have obtained the highest resolution image ever obtained for the planetary nebula NGC 2346. Shaped like a butterfly, or an hourglass, but known scientifically as a bipolar planetary nebula, this object is at a distance of 2300 light years from our sun in the constellation Monoceros.

The new observations of this gaseous nebula, shown in the first figure, resolve details comparable in size to our own solar system. The team detected previously unresolved knots and filaments of molecular hydrogen gas - details that no other telescope on the ground or in space, not even the Hubble Space Telescope, has been able to resolve.

Molecular hydrogen in the bipolar lobes of NGC 2346 was detected almost 30 years ago, although previous observations suggested only a smooth torus. This filamentary structure observed by the team matches the mechanism they have proposed in which a hot bubble of gas surrounding the central star breaks out and fragments the shell of surrounding gas.

The gaseous knots probably represent a common phenomenon that occurs whenever two fluids (or gasses) of different densities come in contact, and the lighter fluid is pushing on the heavier fluid. This is easily seen by anyone who has ever watched colored oil in a glass of water.

The authors have constructed computer models to understand how the gasses are expected to interact: the accompanying movie shows how the gas will evolve in time.

As first author Arturo Manchado said, "In this movie we show the model results in time steps up to 9000 yrs. The blue color corresponds with the emission of the molecular hydrogen gas. The model shows an initial toroid of cool gas at the equator. Once the swept-up shell is highly fragmented, the toroid is no longer visible and only the large clumps will be seen."

NGC 2346 is a star caught in the final phases of its lifecycle. It began life as a double star system, each companion about twice as massive as the sun and both revolving around their common center of gravity.

The more massive of the two stars burned through its fuel faster than its lower mass companion, expanded as a red giant, and has now shed its outer layers to become a white dwarf star, with a present mass between 0.3 and 0.7 solar masses.

The bipolar nebula, or butterfly shape of this planetary, has probably been sculpted by the star pair, although this is still under study. With an orbital period of 16 days, the two stars are closer together than the sun and Mercury. Material spilling from the more massive star over the lifetime of the pair makes it difficult to calculate the initial mass of the star.

The observations were taken with the new near infra-red Adaptive Optics Imager system on the Gemini telescope during the initial testing phase of this instrument. Adaptive optics is a novel technique that allows for real time correction of distortions to an astronomical image caused by the earth's atmosphere.

The paper will appear in the Astrophysical Journal (Authors Arturo Manchado, Letizia Stanghellini, Eva Villaver, Guillermo Garcia-Segura, Richard A. Shaw and D. A. Garcia-Hernandez)


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


.


Related Links
National Optical Astronomy Observatory
Stellar Chemistry, The Universe And All Within It






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle








STELLAR CHEMISTRY
A five star, doubly-eclipsing star system
Llandudno, UK (SPX) Jul 10, 2015
Astronomers at the Open University have discovered the first quintuple star system containing two eclipsing binary stars. Details of the five star system, the first of its kind to be found, will be presented by Marcus Lohr of the Open University in a talk on Wednesday 8 July at the National Astronomy Meeting at Venue Cymru, Llandudno, Wales. Scientists think that about a third of stars are ... read more


STELLAR CHEMISTRY
Russia to Land Space Vessel on Moon's Polar Region in 2019

Moon engulfed in permanent, lopsided dust cloud

Crashing comets may explain mysterious lunar swirls

Google Lunar X-Prize meets Yoda

STELLAR CHEMISTRY
Curiosity rover finds evidence of Mars' primitive continental crust

Never Get Lost on Mars Again With NASA's New Red Planet Map

Opportunity Rover's 7th Mars Winter to Include New Study Area

Opportunity Gets Back to Work

STELLAR CHEMISTRY
NASA selects leading-edge concepts for continued study

US selects four astronauts for commercial flight

Docking Adapter Sets Stage for Commercial Crew Crew

Targeted LEDs could provide efficient lighting for plants grown in space

STELLAR CHEMISTRY
Chinese earth station is for exclusively scientific and civilian purposes

Cooperation in satellite technology put Belgium, China to forefront

China set to bolster space, polar security

China's super "eye" to speed up space rendezvous

STELLAR CHEMISTRY
Student satellite wins green light for Station deployment

'Jedi' astronauts say 'no fear' as they gear for ISS trip

Relief as Russian cargo ship docks at space station

Loss of SpaceX Cargo Resupply Mission No Threat to ISS Crew Security

STELLAR CHEMISTRY
Baikonur Cosmodrome to Be Equipped With Viewing Platforms

30 launches planned in next three fiscals: ISRO chief

India to launch its heaviest commercial mission to date

Final payload integration begins for next Ariane 5 launch

STELLAR CHEMISTRY
Bricks to build an Earth found in every planetary system

Observing the birth of a planet

Precise ages of largest number of stars hosting planets ever measured

Can Planets Be Rejuvenated Around Dead Stars?

STELLAR CHEMISTRY
A cool way to form 2-D conducting polymers using ice

Engineers give invisibility cloaks a slimmer design

Rubber expansion threatens biodiversity and livelihoods

Disney gives sneak peek for planned China theme park




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2014 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement All images and articles appearing on Space Media Network have been edited or digitally altered in some way. Any requests to remove copyright material will be acted upon in a timely and appropriate manner. Any attempt to extort money from Space Media Network will be ignored and reported to Australian Law Enforcement Agencies as a potential case of financial fraud involving the use of a telephonic carriage device or postal service.