飞马座LL的非凡螺旋
(原标题: The Extraordinary Spiral in LL Pegasi)
2021-11-29
浏览次数: 43
是什么造成了左上角奇怪的螺旋结构？没有人能确定，尽管它可能与双星系统中的一颗恒星进入行星状星云阶段有关，当它的外层大气被喷出时。这个巨大的螺旋直径约为三分之一光年，绕了四五个完整的圈，其规律性是史无前例的。考虑到螺旋气体的膨胀速度，大约每800年就会出现一层新的气体层，这与两颗恒星相互绕轨道运行的时间非常接近。形成它的恒星系统通常被称为LL Pegasi，但也被称为AFGL 3068和IRAS 23166+1655。这张特色图片是由哈勃太空望远镜在近红外光下拍摄的。为什么螺旋会发光本身就是一个谜，一个主要的假设是附近恒星反射的光照亮了它。
查看原文解释
What created the strange spiral structure on the upper left? No one is sure, although it is likely related to a star in a binary star system entering the planetary nebula phase, when its outer atmosphere is ejected. The huge spiral spans about a third of a light year across and, winding four or five complete turns, has a regularity that is without precedent. Given the expansion rate of the spiral gas, a new layer must appear about every 800 years, a close match to the time it takes for the two stars to orbit each other. The star system that created it is most commonly known as LL Pegasi, but also AFGL 3068 and IRAS 23166+1655. The featured image was taken in near-infrared light by the Hubble Space Telescope. Why the spiral glows is itself a mystery, with a leading hypothesis being illumination by light reflected from nearby stars.
© Jonathan Lodge