221214 - NGC1333 "Embryo" nebula
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ASTRO:
type=reflection nebula mag=9.5 const=Perseus dist=967 ly size=2 ly IMAGE: location=EB Driveway BrtlCls=5 exposure=DSLR OSC; 192x120s (6.4h), ISO1600 EQUIPMENT: camera=Nikon D90 (mod) optics=ES102 w1.0x fltnr, F=714mm, f/7.0 filter=Optolong L-Pro LPS mount=Celestron AVX guiding=Orion 60x240mm, ZWO ASi224MC SOFTWARE: acquisition=Stellarium, APT, PHD2, processing=PixInsight, RCAstro, PhotoshopCC, Lumenzia, APF-R, LrC |
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The Embryo Nebula (also known as NGC 1333 and LBN 741) is seen in visible light as a reflection nebula, dominated by bluish hues characteristic of starlight reflected by interstellar dust. A mere 967 light-years distant toward the heroic constellation Perseus, it lies at the edge of a large, star-forming molecular cloud. This telescopic close-up spans about four (4) full moons across the sky, or just over 30 light-years at the estimated distance of NGC 1333. It shows the dusty regions along with telltale hints of contrasty red emission from Herbig-Haro objects, showing up as jets and shocked glowing gas emanating from recently formed stars. In fact, NGC 1333 contains hundreds of stars less than a million years old, most still hidden from optical telescopes by the pervasive stardust. The chaotic environment inside this nebula may be similar to one in which our own Sun formed over 4.5 billion years ago.
The reflection nebula of NGC 1333 is positioned next to the southern constellation border of Perseus, with both constellations Taurus and Aries immediately adjacent. It was first discovered by German astronomer Eduard Schönfeld in 1855. It is visible as a hazy patch in a small telescope, while a larger aperture will show a pair of dark nebulae clouds designated Barnard 1 and Barnard 2. They are associated with the larger dark cloud L1450 (also known as Barnard 205). Estimates of the distance to the nebula range from 980 to 1140 ly .
This nebula is located in the western part of the Perseus molecular cloud, a young region of very active star formation. Being one of the best-studied objects of its type, it contains a fairly typical hierarchy of star clusters that are still embedded in the molecular cloud in which they formed. That cloud is split into two main sub-groups to the north and south. Most of the infrared emission is happening in the southern part of the nebula. A significant portion of the stars seen in the infrared are in the pre-main sequence stage of their evolution.
The nebula region has a combined mass of approximately 450 solar masses, while the star cluster contains around 150 stars with a median age of a million years and a combined mass of appx 100 solar masses. Within the nebula are 20 young stellar objects producing outflows, including the aforesaid Herbig–Haro objects. There are a total of 95 X-ray sources that are associated with known members of embedded star clusters. In 2011 researchers reported finding 30 to 40 brown dwarf objects in the cloud, which are pre-cursors to active stars; ...not yet massive enough to sustain nuclear fusion of ordinary hydrogen into helium inside their cores.
The reflection nebula of NGC 1333 is positioned next to the southern constellation border of Perseus, with both constellations Taurus and Aries immediately adjacent. It was first discovered by German astronomer Eduard Schönfeld in 1855. It is visible as a hazy patch in a small telescope, while a larger aperture will show a pair of dark nebulae clouds designated Barnard 1 and Barnard 2. They are associated with the larger dark cloud L1450 (also known as Barnard 205). Estimates of the distance to the nebula range from 980 to 1140 ly .
This nebula is located in the western part of the Perseus molecular cloud, a young region of very active star formation. Being one of the best-studied objects of its type, it contains a fairly typical hierarchy of star clusters that are still embedded in the molecular cloud in which they formed. That cloud is split into two main sub-groups to the north and south. Most of the infrared emission is happening in the southern part of the nebula. A significant portion of the stars seen in the infrared are in the pre-main sequence stage of their evolution.
The nebula region has a combined mass of approximately 450 solar masses, while the star cluster contains around 150 stars with a median age of a million years and a combined mass of appx 100 solar masses. Within the nebula are 20 young stellar objects producing outflows, including the aforesaid Herbig–Haro objects. There are a total of 95 X-ray sources that are associated with known members of embedded star clusters. In 2011 researchers reported finding 30 to 40 brown dwarf objects in the cloud, which are pre-cursors to active stars; ...not yet massive enough to sustain nuclear fusion of ordinary hydrogen into helium inside their cores.