Binary Star System R Aquarii | Hubble Space Telescope

Binary Star System R Aquarii | Hubble Space Telescope

This image features R Aquarii, a symbiotic binary star that lies only roughly 1,000 light-years from Earth in the constellation Aquarius. This is a type of binary star system consisting of a white dwarf and a red giant that is surrounded by a large, dynamic nebula.

Image Description: A bright binary star surrounded by a nebula. The star, in the center, is a large white spot surrounded by a circular glow. It has a large, X-shaped set of diffraction spikes around it. The nebula extends far above, below, left and right of the star in long, arcing shapes made of thin, multicolored filaments—mostly red and greenish colors, but lit in a bright cyan near the star where its light illuminates the gas.

Credit: NASA, European Space Agency, M. Stute, M. Karovska,  D. de Martin & M. Zamani (ESA/Hubble)

Release Date: Oct. 16, 2024

#NASA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #BinaryStars #WhiteDwarf #RedGiant #BinaryStarSystem #Nebula  #Aquarius #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #HST #HubbleSpaceTelescope #ESA #Europe #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education