Copyright:Tim Schaeffer
中文翻譯:
在遙遠的星空中，KX Andromedae 這顆變星發出驚人的雙極噴流，這些噴流的長度竟然達到19光年！科學家最近發現了這些噴流，並用超過692小時的深度望遠鏡影像來呈現這個壯觀的景象。KX And 是一個特殊的雙星系統，裡面有一顆明亮、炎熱的 B型恆星，還有一顆膨脹的冷巨星，這兩顆恆星彼此環繞著對方。冷巨星的恆星物質正在藉由一個吸積盤向 B型恆星轉移，並驅動著美麗的對稱噴流，這些噴流正好垂直於吸積盤的方向。根據我們知道的 KX And 距離地球 2,500 光年的資訊，噴流的角度大小和吸積盤的傾斜程度，我們估算每個噴流的大小驚人地有19光年長！
原文:
Blasting outward from variable star KX Andromedae, these stunning bipolar jets are 19 light-years long. Recently discovered, they are revealed in unprecedented detail in this deep telescopic image centered on KX And and composed from over 692 hours of combined image data. In fact, KX And is spectroscopically found to be an interacting binary star system consisting of a bright, hot B-type star with a swollen cool giant star as its co-orbiting, close companion. The stellar material from the cool giant star is likely being transferred to the hot B-type star through an accretion disk, with spectacular symmetric jets driven outward perpendicular to the disk itself. The known distance to KX And of 2,500 light-years, angular size of the jets, and estimated inclination of the accretion disk lead to the size estimate for each jet of an astonishing 19 light-years. Free APOD Lecture in Phoenix: Wednesday, December 10 at 7 pm
來源:NASA每日圖片
