|
|
NGC 346:
A Heart in the Darkness
This Chandra image of the young star cluster NGC 346 highlights a heart-shaped cloud of 8 million-degree Celsius gas in the central region. Evidence from radio, optical and ultraviolet telescopes
suggests that the hot cloud, which is about 100 light years across, is
the remnant of a supernova explosion that occurred thousands of years
ago.
The progenitor could have been a companion of the massive young star
that is responsible for the bright X-ray source at the top center of the
image. This young star, HD 5980, one of the most massive known, has been
observed to undergo dramatic eruptions during the last decade. An
alternative model for the origin of the hot cloud is that eruptions of
HD 5980 long ago produced the cloud of hot gas, in a manner similar to
the gas cloud observed around the massive star Eta Carinae.
Future observations will be needed to decide between the alternatives.
Until then, the nature of the heart in the darkness will remain
mysterious
|
Fast Facts for
NGC 346:
|
|
Credit
|
NASA/CXC/U.Liege/Y.Nazé et al.
|
|
Scale
|
Image is approx. 3 arcmin on a side.
|
|
Category
|
Normal Stars & Star Clusters
|
|
Coordinates
(J2000)
|
RA 00h 59m 05.00s | Dec -72º 10' 42.10"
|
|
Constellation
|
Tucana
|
|
Observation
Date
|
May 15, 2001
|
|
Observation
Time
|
20 hours
|
|
Obs.
ID
|
1881
|
|
Color
Code
|
Intensity
|
|
Instrument
|
ACIS
|
|
Distance
Estimate
|
approx. 180,000 light years.
|
|
Release Date
|
February 12, 2003
|
|
|
|
