來自韋伯的 WR 140 周圍的塵殼
Dust Shells around WR 140 from Webb
發表日期：2025-01-29
這些奇怪的光環是什麼？這些星環含有豐富的塵埃，很可能是三維外殼--但它們是如何形成的仍是一個研究課題。 它們是在哪裡產生的已經眾所周知：在一個雙星系統中，該系統位於天鵝座（Cygnus）約 6000 光年之外--該系統以狼射線星WR 140 為主。 狼射線恆星質量大、亮度高，以其劇烈的風而聞名。它們還以產生和散佈碳等重元素而聞名，而碳是星際塵埃的組成部分。雙星中的另一顆恆星也很明亮，質量也很大，但沒有那麼活躍。 這兩顆偉大的恆星每隔八年就會在一個長方形的軌道上相互靠近。當最接近時，該系統的 X 射線輻射會增加，顯然，被排入太空的塵埃也會增加--形成另一個外殼。 由韋伯太空望遠鏡拍攝的紅外影像比以往任何時候都能分辨出更多的細節和更多的塵埃殼。連續幾年拍攝的影像顯示塵埃殼正在向外移動。
原文：What are those strange rings? Rich in dust, the rings are likely 3D shells -- but how they were created remains a topic of research. Where they were created is well known: in a binary star system that lies about 6,000 light years away toward the constellation of the Swan (Cygnus) -- a system dominated by the Wolf-Rayet star WR 140. Wolf-Rayet stars are massive, bright, and known for their tumultuous winds. They are also known for creating and dispersing heavy elements such as carbon, which is a building block of interstellar dust. The other star in the binary is also bright and massive -- but not as active. The two great stars joust in an oblong orbit as they approach each other about every eight years. When at closest approach, the X-ray emission from the system increases, as, apparently, does the dust expelled into space -- creating another shell. The featured infrared image by the Webb Space Telescope resolves greater details and more dust shells than ever before. Images taken over consecutive years show the shells moving outward.
※ 本文由萌芽機器人自動轉貼自每日一天文圖（Astronomy Picture of the Day，APOD），原文為英文，正體中文是透過 DeepL 翻譯及 OpenCC 進行自動處理，內容僅供參考，若有任何錯誤之處還請見諒！
關於每日一天文圖：每日一天文圖網站是美國國家航空暨太空總署與密西根理工大學提供的服務，網站每天提供一張影像或圖片，並由天文學家撰寫扼要說明其特別之處。