Tempestuous Young Stars in Orion, Hubble Space Telescope

"The bright variable star V 372 Orionis takes centre stage in this image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, which has also captured a smaller companion star in the upper left of this image. Both stars lie in the Orion Nebula, a colossal region of star formation roughly 1450 light years from Earth.

V 372 Orionis is a particular type of variable star known as an Orion Variable. These young stars experience some tempestuous moods and growing pains, which are visible to astronomers as irregular variations in luminosity. Orion Variables are often associated with diffuse nebulae, and V 372 Orionis is no exception; the patchy gas and dust of the Orion Nebula pervade this scene.

This image overlays data from two of Hubble’s instruments. Data from the Advanced Camera for Surveys and Wide Field Camera 3 at infrared and visible wavelengths were layered to reveal rich details of this corner of the Orion Nebula. Hubble also left its own subtle signature on this astronomical portrait in the form of the diffraction spikes surrounding the bright stars. These prominent artefacts are created by starlight interacting with Hubble’s inner workings, and as a result they reveal hints of Hubble’s structure. The four spikes surrounding the stars in this image are created by four vanes inside Hubble supporting the telescope’s secondary mirror. The diffraction spikes of the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope, on the other hand, are six-pointed as a result of Webb’s hexagonal mirror segments and 3-legged support structure for the secondary mirror. "

Id: potw2304a
Type: Observation
Release date: 23 January 2023, 06:00

Name: V 372 Orionis
Distance: 1450 light years
Constellation: Orion
Category: Nebulae

Band Wavelength Telescope
Optical
V 555 nm Hubble Space Telescope
ACS
Optical
B 435 nm Hubble Space Telescope
ACS
Optical
z 850 nm Hubble Space Telescope
ACS
Optical
i 775 nm Hubble Space Telescope
ACS
Infrared
H2O/CH4 line 1.39 μm Hubble Space Telescope
WFC3
Optical
NII 658 nm Hubble Space Telescope
ACS

Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, J. Bally, M. Robberto
Processed by STYX AI

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