Proplyd in the Orion Nebula

In this picture, the disk is the green-colored oval near the center. Radiation from the hot star is heating up the disk, causing matter to dissipate, like steam evaporating from the surface of boiling water. A strong 'stellar wind, ' a stream of particles moving at 4, 500 to 8, 900 miles per hour (7, 200 to 14, 400 kilometers per hour), is propelling the material away from the disk. The material is glowing because it is being energized by radiation from the hot star.

Credit:

NASA/ESA, J. Bally (University of Colorado, Boulder, CO), H. Throop (Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO), C.R. O'Dell (Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN)

About the Image

NASA press release
Id:opo0113c
Type:Observation
Release date:26 April 2001, 20:00
Size:357 x 357 px

About the Object

Name:M 42, Messier 42, NGC 1976, Orion Proplyd
Type:Milky Way : Nebula : Appearance : Dark : Proplyd
Distance:1400 light years
Category:Miscellaneous
Stars

Image Formats

r.titleLarge JPEG
47.8 KB
r.titleScreensize JPEG
143.1 KB

Colours & filters

BandTelescope
Optical Hubble Space Telescope
WFPC2

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