<

Gemini Spies Strong Stellar Gusts in Nearby Massive Star
July 23, 2001

Article courtesy of National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO)

A dramatic infrared image released today by the Gemini Observatory sheds new light on the early stages of the formation of giant stars in our galaxy. The image, taken by the Gemini North telescope on Hawaii's Mauna Kea, reveals remarkable details in a nebula of gas and dust expelled from a young star named AFGL 2591. This expulsion is a common feature in the formation of stars similar in size to the Sun, but it is far less common in their massive counterparts.

Image Credit:
Gemini Observatory/National Science Foundation/C. Aspin.

"Almost everything in this set of infrared images would be invisible with an optical telescope, since it is occurring within a dense molecular cloud of gas and dust," says Gemini scientist Colin Aspin, who made the observation. "Gemini's unparalleled sensitivity and resolution in the infrared allows us to move beyond simply detecting such structures to being able to study them in great detail."

"These images only hint at the potential for a large, ground-based telescope to 'see' through the veil of material that surrounds young stars," says Wayne Van Citters, acting director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) Astronomical Sciences Division. NSF is the executive agency for the international Gemini partnership.
(Full Story)

Dan