Currently, sci.esa.int is under review and not being updated. For the latest information and news from ESA science missions and scientific results, please visit esa.int. For a comprehensive overview of ESA’s Science Programme and its missions, please refer to science.esa.int. For in-depth technical information aimed at ESA's scientific communities, you may also wish to consult cosmos.esa.int.

Asset Publisher

Back Great Balls of Fire! Hubble Sees Bright Knots Ejected from Brilliant Star

Great Balls of Fire! Hubble Sees Bright Knots Ejected from Brilliant Star


Depicts: WR124, M1-67, IRAS 19092+1646
Copyright: Yves Grosdidier (University of Montreal and Observatoire de Strasbourg), Anthony Moffat (Universitie de Montreal), Gilles Joncas(Universite Laval), Agnes Acker (Observatoire de Strasbourg), and NASA

The massive, hot central star is known as a Wolf-Rayet star. This extremely rare and short-lived class of super-hot star is going through a violent, transitional phase characterized by the fierce ejection of mass. The blobs may result from the furious stellar wind that does not flow smoothly into space but has instabilities which make it clumpy. This black and white image was made in the light of atomic hydrogen. The contrast has been increased to emphasize the fine detail in the nebula near the central star.
Last Update: 1 September 2019
13-Apr-2026 05:37 UT

ShortUrl Portlet

Shortcut URL

https://sci.esa.int/s/Ajq3Kn8

Latest Selection

Also Available As

Related Images

Related Videos

Caption & Press Release

Related Publications

Related Links

See Also

Documentation