2026年1月5日
The Red Rectangle Nebula from Hubble
Image Credit: NASA, ESA, Hubble; Processing & License: Judy Schmidt
Explanation: How was the unusual Red Rectangle nebula created? At the nebula’s center is an aging binary star system that surely powers the nebula but does not, as yet, explain its colors. The unusual shape of the Red Rectangle is likely due to a thick dust torus which pinches the otherwise spherical outflow into tip-touching cone shapes. Because we view the torus edge-on, the boundary edges of the cone shapes seem to form an X. The distinct rungs suggest the outflow occurs in fits and starts. The unusual colors of the nebula are less well understood, however, and speculation holds that they are partly provided by hydrocarbon molecules that may actually be building blocks for organic life. The Red Rectangle nebula lies about 2,300 light years away towards the constellation of the Unicorn (Monoceros). The nebula is shown here in great detail as a reprocessed image from Hubble Space Telescope. In a few million years, as one of the central stars becomes further depleted of nuclear fuel, the Red Rectangle nebula will likely bloom into a planetary nebula.
Tomorrow’s picture: jupiter-sized mess
哈勃望远镜拍摄的红矩星云
影像提供: NASA, ESA, Hubble; 影像处理与授权: Judy Schmidt
说明: 奇特的红矩星云是如何形成的？在这个星云的中心，有一个年老的双星系统，这个系统无疑是星云的能量来源，但目前尚无法解释其颜色的成因。红矩星云的奇特形状很可能是由于一个厚实的尘埃环所造成，这个尘埃环将原本球形的喷流挤压成尖端相触的圆锥形。由于我们是从侧面观察这个环，因此锥形的边缘看起来似乎形成了一个「X」形。清晰的阶梯状结构显示喷流是间歇性地发生的。然而，星云奇特的颜色目前尚不完全清楚，有推测认为，这些颜色部分来自碳氢化合物分子，而这些分子可能正是建构有机生命的基本单元。红矩星云位于约2,300光年之外，朝向麒麟座（Monoceros）方向。这里展示的是哈勃太空望远镜拍摄，并经过重新处理的星云高清析度影像。几百万年后，随着中心恒星之一的核燃料进一步耗尽时，红矩星云很可能会绽放成行星状星云。
明日的图片: jupiter-sized mess
