IRAS 20324+4057 is a mixture of interstellar gas and dust that extends a light year in length in the Cygnus constellation, 4,600 light-years away.[2] It is located within the Cygnus OB2 association.[2] It has been imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope and has been nicknamed a "Cosmic Caterpillar", as it resembles a crawling caterpillar.[3] The head of the object is a protostar, but the presence of 65 O-type stars, which tend to scatter the matter accumulated by the Cosmic caterpillar, leaves doubt whether the caterpillar will survive and mature into a star.[4]
| Nebula | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Observation data: J2000 epoch | |
| Right ascension | 20h 34m 13.25177s[1] |
| Declination | +41° 08′ 13.8973″[1] |
| Distance | 4600 ly (1400[2] pc) |
| Constellation | Cygnus |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 54.7″ × 14.1″[2] |
References
edit- ^ a b "IRAS 20324+4057". SIMBAD. Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg. Retrieved 2022-02-19.
- ^ a b c d Sahai, R.; Morris, M. R.; Claussen, M. J. (2012). "Shocked and Scorched: The Tail of a Tadpole in an Interstellar Pond". The Astrophysical Journal. 751 (1): 69. arXiv:1201.5067. Bibcode:2012ApJ...751...69S. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/751/1/69. S2CID 119191141.
- ^ "NASA's Hubble Sees a Cosmic Caterpillar". Science Daily.
- ^ Vincent, James (30 August 2013). "Nasa spots a 'Cosmic Caterpillar' in the middle of metamorphosis". The Independent. London.
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