NICMOS Peers Through Dust to Reveal Young Stellar Disks. A View of IRAS 04248+2612
In this image of IRAS 04248+2612, the infrared eyes of NICMOS peer through a dusty cloud to reveal a double-star system in formation. A nebula extends at least 65 billion miles (105 billion kilometres) in opposite directions from the twin stars, and is illuminated by them. This nebula was formed from material ejected by the young star system. The apparent 'pinching' of this nebula close to the binary suggests that a ring or disk of dust and gas surrounds the two stars.
Credit:
About the Image
NASA press release
NASA caption
NASA caption
| Id: | opo9905p |
| Type: | Observation |
| Release date: | 9 February 1999, 19:00 |
| Size: | 256 x 256 px |
About the Object
| Name: | HH 31-D, IRAS 04248+2612 |
| Type: | • Milky Way : Star : Evolutionary Stage : Young Stellar Object • Milky Way : Star : Grouping : Binary • Milky Way : Star : Circumstellar Material : Disk • Stars Images/Videos |
| Distance: | 500 light years |
Colours & filters
| Band | Wavelength | Telescope |
| Infrared J |
1.1 μm | Hubble Space Telescope NICMOS |
| Infrared H |
1.6 μm | Hubble Space Telescope NICMOS |
| Infrared K |
2.05 μm | Hubble Space Telescope NICMOS |
