The Star T Tauri in Variable Nebula NGC 1555: Close-up View | Schulman Telescope

The Star T Tauri in Variable Nebula NGC 1555: Close-up View | Schulman Telescope

NGC 1555 is a variable nebula illuminated by the star T Tauri (yellow-colored star to the right of center in a cocoon of gas and dust), located in the constellation Taurus. Variable nebulae are reflection nebulae that change in brightness because of alterations in their star. NGC 1555, a Herbig–Haro object, is also in the second Sharpless catalog as 238. This nebula was discovered in 1852 by John Russell Hind and explains why it is sometimes known as Hind's Variable Nebula.

Herbig–Haro (HH) objects are bright patches of nebulosity associated with newborn stars. They are formed when narrow jets of partially ionized gas ejected by stars collide with nearby clouds of gas and dust at several hundred kilometers per second. Herbig–Haro objects are commonly found in star-forming regions, and several are often seen around a single star, aligned with its rotational axis. Most of them lie within about one parsec (3.26 light-years) of the source, although some have been observed several parsecs away. 

Optics: Schulman 32-inch RCOS Telescope

Camera: SBIG STL11000

The 0.81 m (32 in) Schulman Telescope is a Ritchey-Chrétien reflector built by RC Optical Systems and installed in 2010. It is operated by the Mount Lemmon SkyCenter and is Arizona's largest dedicated public observatory. The Schulman Telescope was designed for remote control over the Internet by amateur and professional astrophotographers worldwide. It is currently the world's largest telescope dedicated for this purpose.

Image Credit & Copyright: Adam Block/Mount Lemmon SkyCenter/University of Arizona

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