The ever-changing R Aquarii
This video shows the evolution of a chaotic and fascinating binary star system named R Aquarii. The time lapse begins with observations from the Nordic Optical Telescope taken in 1997. In the 15 years since that image was taken the system has been observed by many other telescopes, including ESO’s Very Large Telescope. This video lapses between a selection of these images, showing the expansion and evolution of the material surrounding R Aquarii.
R Aquarii is a so-called “symbiotic binary”, comprising two stars surrounded by a large, dynamic cloud of gas (a nebula). Systems like this contain two stars in an unequal and complex relationship. R Aquarii is made up of one hot white dwarf and one red giant. The red giant is losing matter to its small companion and occasionally ejecting matter in weird spurts, loops and trails, forming the intriguing shapes seen here.
There is a lot going on between the performers in this cosmic double act. The red giant is a variable star, with a brightness that changes by a factor of 750 every year and three weeks. The faint nebula is named Cederblad 211 and is thought to be the result of a violent nova 250 years ago. Also visible is a narrow, vertical, S-shaped feature, with blobs of superheated material.
T. Liimets et al./ESO/M. Kornmesser
|10 grudnia 2018 06:00
R Aquarius: Video hii inaonyesha mageuzi ya mfumo wa nyota mbili chaotic na ya kuvutia aitwaye R Aquarius. Mwaka 1997 alipata nafasi ya kwanza katika uchunguzi wa Nordic Optical Telescope. Katika miaka 15 tangu picha hiyo ilipochukuliwa, mfumo huo umeonekana na darubini nyingine nyingi, ikiwa ni pamoja na Darubini Kubwa sana ya ESO. Video hii hupita kati ya uteuzi wa picha hizi, kuonyesha upanuzi na mageuzi ya nyenzo inayozunguka R Aquarii. R Aquarii ni kinachoitwa "symbiotic binary", inayojumuisha nyota mbili kuzungukwa na wingu kubwa, nguvu ya gesi (nebula). Mifumo kama hii ina nyota mbili katika uhusiano usio sawa na tata. R Aquarii ina nyota moja nyeupe yenye joto na nyota moja kubwa nyekundu. Jitu jekundu linapoteza dutu kwa mwenzake mdogo na mara kwa mara linatoa dutu katika milipuko ya ajabu, pete na njia, na kuunda maumbo ya kuvutia yanayoonekana hapa. Kuna mengi yanayotokea kati ya waigizaji katika wimbo huu wa pande mbili wa ulimwengu. Nyota hiyo kubwa nyekundu ni nyota inayobadilika-badilika, na mwangaza wake hubadilika mara 750 kila mwaka na kila baada ya majuma matatu. Nebula hiyo ndogo inaitwa Cederblad 211, na inaaminika kuwa ni matokeo ya mlipuko wa nova wa miaka 250 iliyopita. Pia kuna sehemu nyembamba, iliyo wima, yenye umbo la herufi S, yenye vipande vya vitu vilivyochemshwa sana. T. Limets et al. Kizazi cha 10 cha Kizazi cha 10 cha Kizazi cha 10 cha Kizazi cha 10 cha Kizazi cha 10 cha Kizazi cha 10 cha Kizazi cha 10 cha Kizazi cha 10 cha Kizazi cha 10 cha Kizazi cha 10 cha Kizazi cha 10 cha Kizazi cha 10 cha Kizazi cha 10 cha Kizazi cha 10