Estrellas parecidas a cometas
Esta espectacular Imagen de la semana fue producida a partir de datos recogidos por ALMA (Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array), en Chile, combinados con datos del Telescopio Espacial Hubble de NASA/ESA. Muestra un cúmulo de estrellas llamado Westerlund 1, uno de los cúmulos estelares masivos más jóvenes de los que se conocen en la Vía Láctea.
Pero también muestra las "colas" de material, parecidas a las de los cometas, que se extienden desde algunas de las estrellas gigantes de Westerlund 1. Estas colas se forman en los densos e implacables vientos que emanan de las estrellas residentes en el cúmulo, lanzando el materia hacia el exterior.
Este fenómeno es similar al proceso por el cual los cometas forman sus famosas y hermosas colas. Las colas de los cometa en el Sistema Solar nacen del núcleo del cometa y son eyectadas hacia fuera por un viento de partículas que forma unas corrientes originadas en el Sol. Por lo tanto, las colas de los cometa siempre apuntan en sentido contrario al Sol. Del mismo modo, las colas de las grandes estrellas rojas que se muestran en esta imagen apuntan en sentido opuesto al núcleo del cúmulo, probablemente como resultado de los potentes vientos del cúmulo generados por cientos de estrellas masivas y calientes detectadas hacia el centro de Westerlund 1.
Estas estructuras masivas cubren grandes distancias e indican el impactante efecto que el entorno puede tener sobre cómo se forman y evolucionan las estrellas.
Estas colas, similares a las de los cometas, se detectaron durante un estudio de ALMA de Westerlund 1 que pretende explorar las estrellas que forman parte del cúmulo y averiguar cómo y a qué velocidad pierden su masa. Se sabe que el cúmulo alberga una gran cantidad de enormes estrellas, muchas de ellas muy interesantes y de tipos poco abundantes, haciendo de él un objeto de estudio de gran interés y utilidad para los equipos de investigación que quieren comprender las innumerables estrellas que hay en nuestra galaxia.
Crédito:ESO/D. Fenech et al.; ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)
Acknowledgments: Mahdi Zamani
Sobre la imagen
| Identificador: | potw1849a |
| Idioma: | es-cl |
| Tipo: | Observación |
| Fecha de publicación: | 3 de Diciembre de 2018 a las 06:00 |
| Tamaño: | 1838 x 1929 px |
Sobre el objeto
| Nombre: | Westerlund 1 |
| Tipo: | Milky Way : Star : Grouping : Cluster : Open |
| Constellation: | Ara |
Fondo de pantalla
Coordenadas
| Position (RA): | 16 47 3.98 |
| Position (Dec): | -45° 50' 52.97" |
| Field of view: | 2.76 x 2.90 arcminutes |
| Orientación: | El norte está a 44.2° a la derecha de la vertical |
Colores y filtros
| Banda | Longitud de onda | Telescopio |
|---|---|---|
| Óptico R | 625 nm | Very Large Telescope OmegaCAM |
| Óptico G | 480 nm | VLT Survey Telescope OmegaCAM |
| Óptico H-alpha | 659 nm | Very Large Telescope OmegaCAM |
| Óptico H-alpha | 659 nm | Very Large Telescope OmegaCAM |
| Óptico I | 770 nm | Very Large Telescope OmegaCAM |
| Infrarrojo J | 1.25 μm | Hubble Space Telescope WFC3 |
| Infrarrojo J | 1.25 μm | Hubble Space Telescope WFC3 |
| Infrarrojo H | 1.6 μm | Hubble Space Telescope WFC3 |
| Infrarrojo Water-CH4 | 1.39 μm | Hubble Space Telescope WFC3 |
| Infrarrojo Water-CH4 | 1.39 μm | Hubble Space Telescope WFC3 |
| Milímetro 100 GHz | 3.0 mm | Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array Band 3 |
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