spitzer_sig07-003a January 9th, 2007
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/N. Smith (UC Berkeley)
A Luminous Blue Variable star in our galaxy, named HD168625, is surrounded by a bipolar nebula that is similar to the one around SN1987A. SN1987A was a supernova in the Large Magellanic Cloud that was first seen on Earth in 1987, and was the nearest supernova detected in about 400 years.
The image was taken in 2004 by the Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) on NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope at wavelengths between 3.6 and 8 microns. The massive star at the center, which lies within the constellation Sagittarius, is about 7,200 light-years from Earth.
Provider: Spitzer Space Telescope
Image Source: http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/2173-sig07-003a-Spitzer-Image-of-HD168625-Ready-to-go-Supernova-
Curator: Spitzer Space Telescope, Pasadena, CA, USA
Image Use Policy: Public Domain
Detailed color mapping information coming soon...
Providers | Sign In