Hubble telescope captures stunning images of star system reminiscent of a volcano
R Aquarii consists of an aging red giant and a compact white dwarf. The red giant is over 400 times the size of the Sun, and the white dwarf orbits the red giant.
Unique star system timelapse
Using data from the Hubble, the European Space Agency constructed a unique timelapse of a star system that spans from 2014 to 2023.
NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has unveiled a breathtaking close-up of one of the most dynamic star systems in our galaxy, located approximately 700 light-years away.
The binary star system, known as R Aquarii, exhibits glowing gas that creates a vast spiral pattern reminiscent of a volcano-like feature.
The agency says R Aquarii consists of an aging red giant star known as a Mira variable and a compact white dwarf.
The red giant is said to be over 400 times the size of our solar system’s Sun and, at its peak, shines nearly 5,000 times brighter.
"When the white dwarf star swings closest to the red giant along its 44-year orbital period, it gravitationally siphons off hydrogen gas. This material accumulates on the dwarf star’s surface until it undergoes spontaneous nuclear fusion, making that surface explode like a gigantic hydrogen bomb. After the outburst, the fueling cycle begins again," NASA scientists stated.
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The space agency estimates the material ejected from R Aquarii reaches at least 248 billion miles from the stars, and its plasma travels at over 1 million miles per hour.
The filaments are said to be glowing because they are energized by radiation from stars.
Using data from the Hubble, the European Space Agency constructed a unique timelapse of the star system that spans from 2014 to 2023.
Unique star system timelapse
Using data from the Hubble, the European Space Agency constructed a unique timelapse of a star system that spans from 2014 to 2023.
According to the ESA, the binary star dims and brightens during the length of the timelapse, as indicated by the size of the red diffraction spikes.
"The nebula is shown in mostly green colors, but bluer parts of it come in and out of view: this is because they are being illuminated as the lighthouse-like beam of light from the spinning binary star sweeps over them," the agency stated.
Despite being one of the closest star systems to undergo such violent eruptions, not much is known about this celestial system.
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The first detailed observations of the star system began in 1990 when the two stars were spotted some 1.6 billion miles apart, all thanks to the telescope named after astronomer Edwin Hubble.
The Hubble was the first major U.S. telescope in space and orbits some 320 miles above Earth’s surface.
Missions performed by astronauts and robots have extended the telescope’s operations well beyond its scheduled lifespan.
NASA estimates that the telescope could be in operation well into the 2030s, when it is expected to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere.
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