Astronomers Pierce Cosmic Dust of 'Jewel Bug Nebula' to Study Anatomy of a Dying Star.
A new spectrograph on the Gemini North telescope has allowed astronomers to peer through the cosmic dust that surrounds a dying star known as the Jewel Bug Nebula. This new view of the nebula has revealed a wealth of information about the star's anatomy and the process of stellar death.
The Jewel Bug Nebula, formally known as NGC 7027, is located about 3,000 light-years away from Earth in the constellation of Cygnus. It is a planetary nebula, which is a type of nebula formed when a dying star ejects its outer layers of gas and dust. The ejected material then forms a glowing cloud around the star.
The new spectrograph, called IGRINS-2, is able to detect light at near-infrared wavelengths. This is important because cosmic dust is more opaque at visible wavelengths, which are the wavelengths that our eyes can see. Near-infrared light, on the other hand, can penetrate through the dust and reveal what lies beneath.
The IGRINS-2 spectrograph has allowed astronomers to detect a variety of elements in the Jewel Bug Nebula, including hydrogen, helium, nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon. They have also been able to measure the temperature and velocity of the gas and dust in the nebula.
This new information is helping astronomers to better understand the process of stellar death. For example, they have found that the Jewel Bug Nebula is expanding at a rate of about 10 kilometers per second. This suggests that the star that ejected the nebula was about twice as massive as the Sun.
Astronomers are also using the new data to learn more about the composition of the star's atmosphere. They have found that the atmosphere is rich in heavy elements, such as carbon and nitrogen. This suggests that the star was a red giant star before it ejected its outer layers.
The new observations of the Jewel Bug Nebula are just a beginning. Astronomers are planning to use IGRINS-2 to study other planetary nebulae in order to learn more about the different ways that stars die.
This research is helping us to better understand the evolution of stars and the role that they play in the life cycle of galaxies.