Star has comet-like tail
Posted: Thu, Aug 16, 2007, 9:37 AM ET (1337 GMT)
Ultraviolet images taken by a NASA spacecraft have revealed that a well-known star has a comet-like tail that extends for over a dozen light-years. Images of the star Mira taken by NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) spacecraft revealed the tail, the first time a star has been found to have such a feature. Astronomers believe the tail consists of material that has been blown off of the aging red giant over the last 30,000 years. The tail exists because the star, about 350 light-years from Earth, is moving relatively rapidly. The tail glows principally in ultraviolet light, which helps explain why it was not previously observed.
Ultraviolet images taken by a NASA spacecraft have revealed that a well-known star has a comet-like tail that extends for over a dozen light-years. Images of the star Mira taken by NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) spacecraft revealed the tail, the first time a star has been found to have such a feature. Astronomers believe the tail consists of material that has been blown off of the aging red giant over the last 30,000 years. The tail exists because the star, about 350 light-years from Earth, is moving relatively rapidly. The tail glows principally in ultraviolet light, which helps explain why it was not previously observed.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
Starship explodes during preparations for static-fire test
Posted: Sun, Jun 22 6:52 AM ET (1052 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Monday, June 23
Tehran warns Iranians: Don’t install Elon Musk’s Starlink internet
Jerusalem Post — 4:35 am ET (0835 GMT) SpaceX Delays Rocket Launch Until Monday Afternoon at Vandenberg
Noozhawk — 4:32 am ET (0832 GMT) SpaceX Sends Icelandic Hemp on Orbital Mission
Iceland Review — 4:31 am ET (0831 GMT) Amazon and SpaceX satellite launches rescheduled for Monday
WESH-TV Orlando — 4:28 am ET (0828 GMT) PhilSA welcomes Austrian ambassador to talk satellites, startups, and spaceports
Philippine Space Agency — 4:24 am ET (0824 GMT) |
