James Webb-ruimteteleskoop (JWST) has taken near-infrared and mid-infrared images of the star-forming region NGC 604, located nearby in the neighbourhood of home sterrestelsel. The images are most detailed ever and offer unique opportunity to study high concentration of massive, young stars in neighbouring galaxies to our home sterrestelsel, the Milky Way.
The high concentration of massive sterre at relatively close distance, means the star-forming NGC 604 offers a unique opportunity to study stars early in their life. Sometimes, the ability to study nearby objects (such as star-forming region NGC 604) at an extremely high resolution can help better understand more distant objects.
Naby-infrarooi aansig:
Hierdie beeld van NGC 604 is geneem deur NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) van JWST.
Tendrils and clumps of emission that appear bright red, extending out from areas that look like clearings, or large bubbles in the nebula are the most noticeable features of the near-infrared image. Stellar winds from the brightest and hottest young sterre have carved out these cavities, while ultraviolet radiation ionizes the surrounding gas. This ionized hydrogen appears as a white and blue ghostly glow.
The bright, orange-coloured streaks signify the presence of carbon-based molecules known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs. This material plays an important role in the interstellar medium and the formation of stars and planete, but its origin is a mystery.
The deeper red signifies molecular hydrogen as one travel farther from the immediate clearings of dust. This cooler gas is a prime environment for ster vorming.
Die uitstekende resolusie bied ook insig in kenmerke wat voorheen gelyk het wat nie verband hou met die hoofwolk nie. Byvoorbeeld, in Webb se beeld is daar twee helder, jong sterre wat gate in stof bo die sentrale newel uitkerf, wat deur diffuse rooi gas verbind is. In sigbare-lig beelding van Hubble ruimte Telescope (HST), these appeared as separate splotches.
Mid-infrarooi aansig:
Hierdie beeld van NGC 604 is deur MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) van JWST.
Daar is merkbaar minder sterre in die middel-infrarooi aansig omdat warm sterre baie minder lig op hierdie golflengtes uitstraal, terwyl die groter wolke koeler gas en stof gloei.
Some of the stars seen in this image, belonging to the surrounding sterrestelsel, are red supergiants – stars that are cool but very large, hundreds of times the diameter of our Sun. Additionally, some of the background galaxies that appeared in the NIRCam image also fade.
In die MIRI-beeld dui die blou ranke van materiaal die teenwoordigheid van PAK's aan.
Die middel-infrarooi aansig illustreer ook 'n nuwe perspektief op die diverse en dinamiese aktiwiteite van hierdie streek.
Die stervormende streek NGC 604
The star-forming region NGC 604 is estimated to be around 3.5 million years old. The cloud of glowing gases extends to some 1,300 light-years across. Located 2.73 million light-years away in the nearby Triangulum sterrestelsel, this region is large in extent and contains many more recently formed stars. Such regions are small-scale versions of more distant “starburst” galaxies, which underwent an extremely high rate of star formation.
In sy stowwerige omhulsels van gas is daar meer as 200 van die warmste, mees massiewe soorte sterre, almal in die vroeë stadiums van hul lewens. Hierdie tipe sterre is B-tipes en O-tipes, waarvan laasgenoemde meer as 100 keer die massa van ons eie Son kan wees.
Dit is nogal skaars om hierdie konsentrasie van hulle in die nabye omgewing te vind heelal. In fact, there’s no similar region within our own Milky Way sterrestelsel.
Hierdie konsentrasie massiewe sterre, gekombineer met sy relatief nabye afstand, beteken NGC 604 gee sterrekundiges die geleentheid om hierdie voorwerpe op 'n fassinerende tyd vroeg in hul lewe te bestudeer. Soms kan die vermoë om nabygeleë voorwerpe soos stervormende streek NGC 604 teen 'n uiters hoë resolusie te bestudeer, help om voorwerpe wat verder is, beter te verstaan.
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Verwysings:
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) 2024. Persverklaring – Loer na die ranke van NGC 604 met NASA se Webb. 09 Maart 2024. Beskikbaar by https://webbtelescope.org/contents/news-releases/2024/news-2024-110.html
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