Reflections on vdB 31
Explanation:
Riding high in the constellation of Auriga,
beautiful, blue vdB 31 is the 31st
object in
Sidney van den Bergh's 1966
catalog
of reflection nebulae.
It shares this well-composed celestial still life
with dark, obscuring clouds recorded in
Edward E. Barnard's 1919
catalog of dark markings in the sky.
All are interstellar dust clouds, blocking the
light from background stars in the case of Barnard's
dark nebulae.
For vdB 31, the dust preferentially reflects the bluish starlight
from embedded, hot, variable star AB Aurigae.
Exploring the
environs
of AB Aurigae with the Hubble Space Telescope has
revealed the several million year young star is itself surrounded by
flattened
dusty disk
with evidence for the ongoing formation
of a planetary system.
AB Aurigae is about 470 light-years away.
At that distance this cosmic canvas would span about four light-years.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
