A Cosmic Lightsaber in 3D: Gas Jets from a Young Star in Orion | Hubble

A Cosmic Lightsaber in 3D: Gas Jets from a Young Star in Orion | Hubble

This video envisions a three-dimensional perspective on the Herbig-Haro object as it is seen by the NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope.

The sequence starts with a wide-field view covering the vast dark cloud of the Orion B molecular cloud complex and a scattering of stars. As the virtual camera flies into the dark nebula, the stars pass off-screen and the details of the forming stars and their red jets are revealed.

While the central star is hidden, its lightsaber-like jets peak out of the gas and dust. These jets have carved an hourglass-shaped cavity in the near side of the nebula.

The jet from another stellar newborn in this region has created a cylindrical tunnel through the gas extending to the left. Careful study of the Hubble data reveals a few other jets heating and displacing the gas and dust around them.

Credit: NASA, European Space Agency (ESA), G. Bacon, L. Frattare, Z. Levay, and F. Summers (Viz3D Team, STScI)  

Acknowledgment: NASA, ESA, Digitized Sky Survey (DSS), STScI/AURA, Palomar/Caltech, UKSTU/AAO, Gemini Observatory/AURA/B. Reipurth, C. Aspin, and T. Rector, the Hubble Heritage (STScI/AURA)/Hubble-Europe (ESA) Collaboration, D. Padgett (GSFC), T. Megeath (University of Toledo), and B. Reipurth (University of Hawaii)

Duration: 30 seconds

Release Date: December 17, 2015

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