龙蛋的双极瓣辐射云

龙蛋的双极瓣辐射云

Dragon’s Egg Bipolar Emission Nebula
Image Credit & Copyright: Rowan Prangley

Explanation: How did a star form this beautiful nebula? In the middle of emission nebula NGC 6164 is an unusually massive star. The central star has been compared to an oyster’s pearl and an egg protected by the mythical sky dragons of Ara. The star, visible in the center of the featured image and catalogued as HD 148937, is so hot that the ultraviolet light it emits heats up gas that surrounds it. That gas was likely thrown off from the star previously, possibly the result of a gravitational interaction with a looping stellar companion. Expelled material might have been channeled by the magnetic field of the massive star, in all creating the symmetric shape of the bipolar nebula. NGC 6164 spans about four light years and is located about 3,600 light years away toward the southern constellation Norma.

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龙蛋的双极瓣辐射云
影像提供与版权: Rowan Prangley

说明: 为何单颗恒星能形成这团美丽的星云呢？发射星云NGC 6164的中心有颗质量异常庞大的恒星。这颗被喻为牡蛎珍珠的中心恒星，据传是受到神话中的天坛战龙保护的龙蛋。位于此主题影像中心、编录号为HD 148937的这颗恒星，是如此的炽热，因此会辐射紫外光加热周围的气体。这些气体很可能是这颗恒星先前抛出的，具体成因则可能是与另一颗绕行的伴星之间的重力作用所致。而所抛出的物质，可能受到这颗大质量恒星的磁场之引导，最后聚成形状对称的双极瓣星云。跨幅约4光年的NGC 6164，座落在南天矩尺座方向约3,600光年远之处。

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