At least one B-type star — the second most massive type — lurks within a star-forming region called G35.2-0.7N, and a powerful protostellar jet that it is launching towards us is the source of the spectacular light show.
This Hubble image shows G35.2-0.7N, a star-forming region some 7,200 light-years away in the constellation of Aquila. Image credit: NASA / ESA / Hubble / R. Fedriani / J. Tan.
G35.2-0.7N resides approximately 7,200 light-years away from Earth in the constellation of Aquila.
The color image of G35.2-0.7N was made from separate exposures taken in the infrared region of the spectrum with Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3).
Four filters were used to sample various wavelengths. The color results from assigning different hues to each monochromatic image associated with an individual filter.
“This beautiful picture of G35.2-0.7N was assembled using data that were collected primarily for very specific research purposes,” Hubble astronomers said.
“The research conducted using these data included measuring the extent of ionization in the jets being blasted out of the protostar buried within this region.”
“Ionization is a process by which atoms or molecules become charged, often because they are in such a high-energy environment that they have lost some of their electrons,” they explained.
“Protostellar jets are enormous collimated beams of matter that are ejected from protostars.”
“Collimated simply means that the matter is ejected in parallel (column-like) streams, which in turn means that the jets do not spread out much, but extend out very far in relatively straight lines.”
“The visual result of the ejected matter is the glorious display visible in the image,” the astronomers said.
“Much of the nebula is dark, with light being blocked from Hubble’s view by the rich dust clouds that produce these massive stars.”
“Near the very center can be seen the location of the star and the jet of material it is emitting.”
“The small, bright orange streak there is a cavity in the dust carved out by the ferocity of the jet as it streams towards us.”
“By breaking through its dusty cocoon, the jet reveals light from the protostar, but there is still so much dust that the light is ‘reddened’ to a fiery orange.”
“The massive protostar lies at the very lower-left tip of this cavity.”
