APOD: NGC 1333: Stellar Nursery in Perseus (2015 Nov 05)

[APOD Robot]

NGC 1333: Stellar Nursery in Perseus

Explanation: NGC 1333 is seen in visible light as a reflection nebula, dominated by bluish hues characteristic of starlight reflected by interstellar dust. A mere 1,000 light-years distant toward the heroic constellation Perseus, it lies at the edge of a large, star-forming molecular cloud. This striking close-up spans about two full moons on the sky or just over 15 light-years at the estimated distance of NGC 1333. It shows details of the dusty region along with hints of contrasting red emission from Herbig-Haro objects, jets and shocked glowing gas emanating from recently formed stars. In fact, NGC 1333 contains hundreds of stars less than a million years old, most still hidden from optical telescopes by the pervasive stardust. The chaotic environment may be similar to one in which our own Sun formed over 4.5 billion years ago.

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[The Wyrm Ouroboros]

The molecular cloud looks like a raven, two upraised wings (the one to our left one being shortened) and its head and tail down, head to the right.

[Boomer12k]

The molecular cloud looks like a raven, two upraised wings (the one to our left one being shortened) and its head and tail down, head to the right.

Or Mothra, after Godzilla is through with him....

Ok...maybe a Raven...

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[Boomer12k]

Just a "Stellar" image...absolutely gorgeous, and informative.

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[starsurfer]

Very beautiful image of one of my favourite reflection nebulae! I particularly like regions that include Herbig Haro objects, since the discovery of HH 1 in the 1950's, more than a thousand are now catalogued.

I'm sure Ann would approve of this image!

[henrystar]

Inspired by Malevich's famous painting "Black Square" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kazimir_Malevich
, I have prepared my all-time favorite APOD and ESPOD for your delectation: http://henry.pha.jhu.edu/pod.png

[Ann]

Very beautiful image of one of my favourite reflection nebulae! I particularly like regions that include Herbig Haro objects, since the discovery of HH 1 in the 1950's, more than a thousand are now catalogued.

I'm sure Ann would approve of this image!

I do! It's a lovely picture of a well-known region of low-mass star formation. The dominant color is blue (unless you count all the gray and black stuff), and there are little pink emission nebulas and many orange warm little fuzzies that are embedded, unborn stars.

Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of the whole thing is that you could almost imagine that the blue reflection nebula could be a mighty blue star, and the black stuff apparently radiating semi-symmetrically from the blue "star" might almost be some kind of black "anti-light". The blue "star" looks like it is hot enough to pump jets of pure blackness into the not quite perfect blackness of space! (I know, the black stuff is dust!)

But while I love the picture, I'm just slightly less impressed with NGC 1333 itself, a region of low-mass star formation. Several little red dwarfs will be born out of that dusty cocoon, and probably one of two stars like the Sun, too. But how massive will the biggest star be that is born from this particular stellar breeding ground? Will it be as massive as Regulus, 3.4 solar masses according to Jim Kaler?

I doubt it. Maybe, maybe, after a lot of pushing and panting, and a lot of tantrums and outbursts, this nebula will produce another Vega. (But I suppose it's just possible that I'm underestimating NGC 1333. Possible, I said.)

Ann

[neufer]

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<<The Perseus molecular cloud (Per MCld) is a nearby (600 ly) giant molecular cloud in the constellation of Perseus and contains over 10,000 solar masses of gas and dust covering an area of 6 by 2 degrees. Unlike the Orion molecular cloud it is almost invisible apart from two clusters, IC 348 and NGC 1333, where low-mass stars are formed. It is very bright at mid and far-infrared wavelengths and in the submillimeter originating in dust heated by the newly formed low-mass stars.

It shows a curious ring structure in maps made by the IRAS and MSX satellites and the Spitzer Space Telescope and has recently detected by the COSMOSOMAS at microwave frequencies as a source of anomalous "spinning dust" emission. "Spinning dust" emission could arise from the electric dipole of very rapidly spinning (10–60 GHz) extremely small (nanometer) dust grains (Draine & Lazarian 1998), most likely polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The anomalous emission was first discovered as a by-product of Cosmic Microwave Background observations which make very sensitive measurements of the microwave sky which have to identify and remove contamination from the galaxy.>>

[neufer]

But while I love the picture, I'm just slightly less impressed with NGC 1333 itself, a region of low-mass star formation.

Several little red dwarfs will be born out of that dusty cocoon, and probably one of two stars like the Sun, too. But how massive will the biggest star be that is born from this particular stellar breeding ground?

• Rogue Failed Star Is One of Smallest Ever Seen

[Chris Peterson]

But while I love the picture, I'm just slightly less impressed with NGC 1333 itself, a region of low-mass star formation. Several little red dwarfs will be born out of that dusty cocoon, and probably one of two stars like the Sun, too. But how massive will the biggest star be that is born from this particular stellar breeding ground? Will it be as massive as Regulus, 3.4 solar masses according to Jim Kaler?

Of course, it's those bitty little dwarfs that are most likely to have complex life around them in a billion years- when the big bright ones are long gone.

[Ron-Astro Pharmacist]

I was curious where the nearest protostar was in proximity to us. Considering how important understanding how new stars form is to astronomy, though not in our solar system, perhaps it should have been included on the list - out of shear coolness.

[neufer]

Of course, it's those bitty little dwarfs that are most likely to have complex life around them in a billion years- when the big bright ones are long gone.

“A community of matter appears to exist throughout the visible universe, for the stars contain many of the elements which exist in the Sun and Earth. It is remarkable that the elements most widely diffused through the host of stars are some of those most closely connected with the living organisms of our globe, including hydrogen, sodium, magnesium, and iron. May it not be that, at least, the brighter stars are like our Sun, the upholding and energizing centres of systems of worlds, adapted to be the abode of living beings?”