It's Twins! Spitzer Finds Hidden Jet

Spitzer_ssc2011-04a1_1024

spitzer_ssc2011-04a1 April 4th, 2011

Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / A. Raga (ICN/UNAM) & A. Noriega-Crespo (SSC/Caltech)

NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope took this image of a baby star sprouting two identical jets (green lines emanating from fuzzy star). The jet on the right had been seen before in visible-light views, but the jet at left -- the identical twin to the first jet -- could only be seen in detail with Spitzer's infrared detectors. This left jet was hidden behind a dark cloud, which Spitzer can see through.

The Spitzer image shows that both of the twin jets, in a system called Herbig-Haro 34, are made up of identical knots of gas and dust, ejected one after another from the area around the star. By studying the spacing of these knots, and knowing the speed of the jets from previous studies, astronomers were able to determine that the jet to the right of the star punches its material out 4.5 years later than the counter-jet.

The new data also reveal that the area from which the jets originate is contained within a sphere around the star, with a radius of 3 astronomical units. An astronomical unit is the distance between Earth and the sun. Previous studies estimated that the maximum size of this jet-making zone was 10 times larger.

The wispy material is gas and dust. Arc-shaped bow shocks can be seen at the ends of the twin jets. The shocks consist of compressed material in front of the jets.

The Herbig-Haro 34 jets are located at approximately 1,400 light-years away in the Orion constellation.

Provider: Spitzer Space Telescope

Image Source: http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/3569-ssc2011-04a1-It-s-Twins-Spitzer-Finds-Hidden-Jet

Curator: Spitzer Science Center, Pasadena, CA, USA

Image Use Policy: Public Domain

Image Details

Image Type
Observation
Object Name
Herbig-Haro 34 HH-34
Subject - Milky Way
Star > Evolutionary Stage > Protostar
Star > Circumstellar Material > Outflow
Nebula > Type > Jet
Nebula > Appearance > Dark

Distance

Universescale1
1,500 light years
Spitzer_ssc2011-04a1_128
 

Position Details

Position (FK5)
RA = 5h 35m 30.2s
DEC = -6° 26’ 8.0”
Orientation
North is 90.0° CCW
Field of View
6.8 x 6.8 arcminutes
Constellation
Orion

Color Mapping

  Telescope Spectral Band Wavelength
Blue Spitzer (IRAC) Infrared (Near-IR) 3.6 µm
Green Spitzer (IRAC) Infrared (Near-IR) 4.5 µm
Orange Spitzer (IRAC) Infrared (Mid-IR) 5.8 µm
Red Spitzer (IRAC) Infrared (Mid-IR) 8.0 µm
Spectrum_base
Blue
Green
Orange
Red
Spitzer_ssc2011-04a1_1280
×
ID
ssc2011-04a1
Subject Category
B.3.1.1.   B.3.7.3.   B.4.1.5.   B.4.2.3.  
Subject Name
Herbig-Haro 34, HH-34
Credits
NASA / JPL-Caltech / A. Raga (ICN/UNAM) & A. Noriega-Crespo (SSC/Caltech)
Release Date
2011-04-04
Lightyears
1,500
Redshift
1,500
Reference Url
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/3569-ssc2011-04a1-It-s-Twins-Spitzer-Finds-Hidden-Jet
Type
Observation
Image Quality
Good
Distance Notes
Facility
Spitzer, Spitzer, Spitzer, Spitzer
Instrument
IRAC, IRAC, IRAC, IRAC
Color Assignment
Blue, Green, Orange, Red
Band
Infrared, Infrared, Infrared, Infrared
Bandpass
Near-IR, Near-IR, Mid-IR, Mid-IR
Central Wavelength
3600, 4500, 5800, 8000
Start Time
Integration Time
Dataset ID
Notes
Coordinate Frame
FK5
Equinox
J2000
Reference Value
83.87583, -6.43556
Reference Dimension
2048, 2048
Reference Pixel
1030.8, 1003.2
Scale
-5.54920000000000e-05, 5.54920000000000e-05
Rotation
90
Coordinate System Projection:
TAN
Quality
Full
FITS Header
Notes
Creator (Curator)
Spitzer Science Center
URL
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu
Name
Email
Telephone
Address
MS 220-6, 1200 E. California Blvd.
City
Pasadena
State/Province
CA
Postal Code
91125
Country
USA
Rights
Public Domain
Publisher
Spitzer Science Center
Publisher ID
spitzer
Resource ID
ssc2011-04a1.tif
Metadata Date
2011-09-01
Metadata Version
1.1
×

 

Detailed color mapping information coming soon...

×
Universescalefull
1,500 light years

Providers | Sign In