chandra_517 July 3rd, 2012
Credit: NASA/CXC/GSFC/K.Hamaguchi, et al
Using combined data from a trio of orbiting X-ray telescopes, including NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and the Japan-led Suzaku satellite, astronomers have obtained a rare glimpse of the powerful phenomena that accompany a still-forming star. A <a href="/press/12_releases/press_070312.html">new study</a> based on these observations indicates that intense magnetic fields drive torrents of gas into the stellar surface, where they heat large areas to millions of degrees. X-rays emitted by these hot spots betray the newborn star's rapid rotation, showing that it is spinning so quickly it is on the verge of breaking up.
Provider: Chandra X-ray Observatory
Image Source: http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2012/v1647/
Curator: Chandra X-ray Observatory, Cambridge, MA, USA
Image Use Policy: http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/image_use.html
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