Hay una impostora en esta nebulosa
En el espacio no todo es lo que parece. Esta imagen de la semana muestra la nebulosa Sh2-46, también llamada Gum 80, situada a unos 6000 años luz de distancia. Los fuertes tonos rojizos de Sh2-46 pueden resultar hermosos, pero esconden a una impostora.
La gran estrella azul y blanca del centro de la imagen es HD 165319, una estrella de tipo O, uno de los tipos de estrella más brillante y más excepcional del universo. La estrella es, en gran parte, responsable de los llamativos tonos rojos que la rodean, causados por la ionización de los átomos de hidrógeno que componen la nebulosa. Esta estrella, sin embargo, no debería estar aquí.
La comunidad astronómica cree que esta estrella nació en otro lugar: en la cercana Nebulosa del Águila. Ubicada en la sección de la cola de la constelación de Serpens (la serpiente), la Nebulosa del Águila está llena de regiones de formación estelar. Una vez nacidas, estas estrellas quedan unidas por la gravedad, creando un cúmulo abierto gigante. A veces, sin embargo, algunas de ellas se desligan de esta unión y se embarcan en una misión solitaria a través del espacio que puede llevarlas a infiltrarse en otras nebulosas no relacionadas. Un arco de choque junto a HD 165319 parece indicar que actualmente la estrella se está sumergiendo en Sh2-46. Quizás esta nebulosa acabe viéndose de otra manera si la estrella acaba dejándola atrás...
Esta imagen altamente detallada de Sh2-46 fue tomada por el VLT Survey Telescope (VST), que explora el cielo en luz visible. Actualmente el VST es propiedad del INAF (el Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica de Italia) y está ubicado en el Observatorio Paranal de ESO, en Chile. Esta imagen se publica con motivo de la celebración de los 100 años del Planetario, con una versión de cúpula completa que se exhibirá en el Planetario y Centro de Visitantes Supernova de ESO.
Enlace
Crédito:ESO/VPHAS+ team
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