NGC 2440: Cocoon of a New White Dwarf
影像提供: H. Bond (STScI), R. Ciardullo (PSU), WFPC2, HST, NASA
Explanation:
Like a butterfly, a white dwarf star begins its life by casting off a cocoon that enclosed its former self. In this analogy, however, the Sun would be a caterpillar and the ejected shell of gas would become the prettiest of all! In the above cocoon, the planetary nebula designated NGC 2440, contains one of the hottest white dwarf stars known. The white dwarf can be seen as the bright dot near the photo's center. Our Sun will eventually become a "white dwarf butterfly", but not for another 5 billion years. The above false color image was post-processed by Forrest Hamilton.
說明:
就像隻蝴蝶一樣， 一顆白矮星也會拋棄包住它前生的繭，開始另一段生命之旅。 在這種比喻中，太陽就像隻毛毛蟲，而被拋出之氣殼則變成最美麗的蝴蝶。 上圖裡的「繭」是名為NGC 2440 的行星狀星雲，內部有顆目前所知最熾熱的白矮星之一，這顆白矮星是照片中心附近的白點。 不過要再過五十億年，我們的太陽才會變成一顆"白矮蝴蝶"。 上面的這幅假色照片是由Forrest Hamilton行後製處理。
資料來源: Scientific American
Department of Physics, NCKU
