天蝎座的黑暗塔
(原标题: The Dark Tower in Scorpius)
2021-07-15
浏览次数: 29
在天蝎座尾部拥挤的星群的衬托下，这片布满灰尘的宇宙云让一些人想起了不祥的黑暗塔的形象。事实上，尘埃团和分子气体坍缩形成的恒星很可能潜伏在黑暗的星云中，这个结构在这幅华丽的望远镜肖像中跨度近40光年。被称为彗星球的后掠云，是由NGC 6231中非常热的恒星OB联合的强烈紫外线辐射形成的，位于场景的上边缘。这种高能量的紫外线也为球体边缘的红色氢气发光提供动力。埋在尘埃中的热恒星可以被看作是蓝色的反射星云。这个黑暗的塔，NGC 6231，以及相关的星云距离我们大约5000光年。
查看原文解释
In silhouette against a crowded star field along the tail of the arachnalogical constellation Scorpius, this dusty cosmic cloud evokes for some the image of an ominous dark tower. In fact, clumps of dust and molecular gas collapsing to form stars may well lurk within the dark nebula, a structure that spans almost 40 light-years across this gorgeous telescopic portrait. Known as a cometary globule, the swept-back cloud, is shaped by intense ultraviolet radiation from the OB association of very hot stars in NGC 6231, off the upper edge of the scene. That energetic ultraviolet light also powers the globule's bordering reddish glow of hydrogen gas. Hot stars embedded in the dust can be seen as bluish reflection nebulae. This dark tower, NGC 6231, and associated nebulae are about 5,000 light-years away.
© Martin Pugh