The expanding shell around V445 Puppis

Using the NACO adaptive optics instrument on ESO’s Very Large Telescope and its ability to obtain images as sharp as if taken from space, astronomers have made the first time-lapse movie of a bipolar shell ejected by a “vampire star”, which underwent an outburst after gulping down part of its companion’s matter. This enabled them to determine the distance and intrinsic brightness of the object. It appears that this system is a prime candidate to be one of the long-sought progenitors of the exploding stars known as Type Ia supernovae, critical for the study of dark energy. The images of V445 Puppis cover a time span of two years. The images unambiguously show a bipolar shell, initially with a very narrow waist, with lobes on each side. Two knots are also seen at either extreme end of the shell, which appear to move at about 30 million kilometres per hour. The shell — unlike any previously observed for a nova — is itself moving at about 24 million kilometres per hour. A thick disc of dust, which must have been produced during the last outburst, obscures the central couple of stars.

Oikeudet:

ESO/P.A. Woudt

Kuvasta

Tunnistus:eso0943a
Tyyppi:Havainto
Julkaisupäivä:17. marraskuuta 2009
Vastaavat julkaisut:eso0943
Koko:1000 x 1000 px

Kohteesta

Nimi:V445 Puppis
Tyyppi:Milky Way : Star : Type : Variable : Nova
Etäisyys:25000 valovuotta
Kategoria:Stars

Kuvaformaatit

Suuri JPEG
67,8 KB
Kokoruudun JPEG
64,6 KB

Taustakuvat

1024x768
58,2 KB
1280x1024
78,5 KB
1600x1200
104,1 KB
1920x1200
119,0 KB
2048x1536
143,8 KB

Värit ja suotimet

KaistaTeleskooppi
Infrapuna
Near-IR
Very Large Telescope
NACO