2025年9月23日
NGC 6357: Cathedral to Massive Stars
Image Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, JWST; Processing: Alyssa Pagan (STScI);
Rollover: NASA, ESA, HST, & J. M. Apellániz (IAA, Spain); Acknowledgement: D. De Martin (ESA/Hubble)
Explanation: How massive can a normal star be? Estimates made from distance, brightness and standard solar models had given one star in the open cluster Pismis 24 over 200 times the mass of our Sun, making it one of the most massive stars known. This star is the brightest object located in the central cavity near the bottom center of the featured image taken with the Webb Space Telescope in infrared light. For comparison, a rollover image from the Hubble Space Telescope is also featured in visible light. Close inspection of the images, however, has shown that Pismis 24-1 derives its brilliant luminosity not from a single star but from three at least. Component stars would still remain near 100 solar masses, making them among the more massive stars currently on record. Toward the bottom of the image, stars are still forming in the associated emission nebula NGC 6357. Appearing perhaps like a Gothic cathedral, energetic stars near the center appear to be breaking out and illuminating a spectacular cocoon.
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Tomorrow’s picture: black hole bang
NGC 6357: 巨星的圣堂
影像提供: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, JWST; Processing: Alyssa Pagan (STScI);
Rollover: NASA, ESA, HST, & J. M. Apellániz (IAA, Spain); Acknowledgement: D. De Martin (ESA/Hubble)
说明: 普通恒星的质量能有多大？根据距离、亮度和标准太阳模型的估算，位于疏散星团Pismis 24中的一颗恒星质量超过了200个的太阳质量，使其成为已知质量最大的恒星之一。这颗恒星是位于 韦伯太空望远镜在红外线波段所拍摄主题影像中央靠近底部中心附近空腔中最亮的天体。作为对比，还有一张来自哈勃太空望远镜以可见光拍摄的翻转影像。然而，仔细观察这些影像就会发现，Pismis 24-1的耀眼亮度并非来自单一恒星，而是来自至少三颗恒星。组成恒星的质量仍接近100个太阳质量，是目前有记录以来质量较大的恒星之一。在影像底部，恒星仍在相关的发射星云 NGC 6357中形成。这些能量旺盛的恒星似乎像一座哥德式大教堂般，正在冲破并照亮一个壮观的茧。
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明日的图片: black hole bang
