New nebula!

[nebularain]

I'm suprised no one posted this yet.

From today's APOD: McNeil's Nebula

A new nebula discovered within Orion. Cool!

This page shows its emergence through snapshots of the area over the past year.

[Tensor]

I'm suprised no one posted this yet.

Heheheh, check the Amatuers can find more than comets... thread.

[nebularain]

Thanks, Tensor!

It's hard to judge things by titles only sometimes. (Happens when you don't have time to fully browse everything. ops: )

[Sirius]

That's really cool! I'd love to have a nebula named for me!

[JohnOwens]

That's really cool! I'd love to have a nebula named for me!

But you've got the brightest star in the sky named after you, what are you complaining about? :wink:

[ToSeek]

Chandra has a look

A brand new nebula was discovered in the constellation of Orion by Jay McNeil back in January, 2004, and astronomers have been turning every instrument they have on this new object to better understand it. It turns out that "McNeil's Nebula" has been there for a long time, but it's only been recently illuminated by the young star that formed it. The Chandra X-Ray Observatory has seen X-ray outbursts from the star which have helped to show that its magnetic field is probably interacting with an orbiting disk of gas, causing it to periodically flare up.

[skeptED56]

Chandra has a look

A brand new nebula was discovered in the constellation of Orion by Jay McNeil back in January, 2004, and astronomers have been turning every instrument they have on this new object to better understand it. It turns out that "McNeil's Nebula" has been there for a long time, but it's only been recently illuminated by the young star that formed it. The Chandra X-Ray Observatory has seen X-ray outbursts from the star which have helped to show that its magnetic field is probably interacting with an orbiting disk of gas, causing it to periodically flare up.

Another Article from space.com

[beskeptical]

And the discoverer's own words of excitement:
http://spacsun.rice.edu/~has/Article...Neils%20NebulaWell it doesn't link without going to the content page. Click on the last link, "Jay McNeil's Nebula Story".

This thing is fascinating. So those of you in the know, was the cloud there and the new star ignited to illuminate it?

Guess I'll go read the other thread.

[beskeptical]

I'm suprised no one posted this yet.

Heheheh, check the Amatuers can find more than comets... thread.

Why can't I find this with search? I remember seeing the topic title. I must be doing something dumb but just can't see what.

Can someone else find it and link us up Scotty? Thanks.

[Tensor]

I'm suprised no one posted this yet.

Heheheh, check the Amatuers can find more than comets... thread.

Why can't I find this with search? I remember seeing the topic title. I must be doing something dumb but just can't see what.

Can someone else find it and link us up Scotty? Thanks.

Ask and ye shall recieve.

[ToSeek]

NASA Chandra Observes X-Ray Outburst from Young Star in McNeil's Nebula

Observations with NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory captured an X-ray outburst from a young star, revealing a probable scenario for the intermittent brightening of the recently discovered McNeil's Nebula. It appears the interaction between the young star's magnetic field and an orbiting disk of gas can cause dramatic, episodic increases in the light from the star and disk, illuminating the surrounding gas.

[SarahMc]

In depth

Abstract: We present a study of McNeil's Nebula, a newly appeared reflection nebula in the L1630 cloud, together with photometry and spectroscopy of its source. New IR photometry compared to earlier 2MASS data shows that the star has brightened by about 3 magnitudes in the near-infrared, changing its location in a J-H/H-K diagram precisely along a reddening vector. A Gemini NIRI K-band spectrum shows strong CO-bandhead emission and Br-gamma is in emission, indicative of strong accretion. A Gemini GMOS optical spectrum shows only a red, heavily veiled continuum, with H-alpha strongly in emission and displaying a pronounced P Cygni profile, with an absorption trough reaching velocities up to 600 km s-1. This implies significant mass loss in a powerful wind. However, no evidence is found for any shocks, as commonly seen in collimated outflows from young stars. Apparently the eruption has dispersed a layer of extinction and this, together with the intrinsic brightening of the IRAS source, has allowed an earlier outflow cavity to be flooded with light, thus creating McNeil's Nebula.