Amazing Hubble telescope photo shows space 'sword' piercing huge celestial 'heart'

[Judi Lynn]

Last edited Thu Sep 2, 2021, 12:09 AM - Edit history (2)

By Mike Wall about 12 hours ago

The photo captures a relatively uncommon phenomenon called a Herbig-Haro object.



This image by the Hubble Space Telescope’s Wide Field Camera 3 instrument, features the
Herbig-Haro object HH111, which lies about 1,300 light-years from Earth. Herbig-Haro
objects consist of young stars blasting superheated jets through surrounding clouds of dust
and gas. (Image credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, B. Nisini)

A flaming blue sword seems to pierce a giant cosmic heart in a gorgeous new photo captured by the Hubble Space Telescope.

The "sword" is composed of twin jets of superheated, ionized gas that are rocketing into space from opposite poles of a newborn star called IRAS 05491+0247. The "heart" is the cloud of leftover dust and gas surrounding the protostar, according to Hubble team members.

This dramatic interaction between jets and cloud creates an uncommon celestial sight known as a Herbig-Haro object. The one photographed here by Hubble is named HH111, and it lies about 1,300 light-years from Earth, in the constellation Orion.

Hubble captured the image using its Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) instrument, which observes in both optical and infrared (heat) wavelengths of light.

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