Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Manoj Kumar
Recently, the Hubble Space Telescope unveiled a stunning celestial spectacle, capturing an image of three young stars emerging from a sculpted cavity within a glowing nebula.
Image : Instagrammed by NASA
This captivating system, known as the HP Tau system, comprises three stars: HP Tau, HP Tau G2, and HP Tau G3, with HP Tau being the brightest among them.
At the heart of the system lies HP Tau, a stellar infant with a mere 10 million years under its cosmic belt. In contrast, our Sun is an aged 4.6 billion years old. HP Tau is classified as a T Tauri star, currently in the process of igniting nuclear fusion to become a Sun-like star.
Surrounding HP Tau is a swirling nebula, a remnant of the dust and gas from its birth. This nebula provides a picturesque backdrop to the young stars and adds to the cosmic drama of the scene.
HP Tau exhibits variable brightness, a characteristic common among developing stars. Factors such as the swirling disk feeding the star, material falling onto its surface, and sunspots contribute to the star’s unpredictable shine.
Unlike some nebulae that emit their own light, the one surrounding HP Tau acts as a celestial mirror. It reflects the brilliance of the nearby stars, creating a dazzling display in the depths of space.
NASA shared the captivating image on Instagram, sparking engagement from users curious about the mysteries of space and astronomy.
In response to the post, users raised questions about star formation processes, particularly how stars are formed from nebulae, and how scientists determine the age of stars. The post garnered appreciation from users, highlighting the beauty of stars and expressing gratitude for NASA’s ongoing exploration efforts to uncover the secrets of the universe.
Credit : NASA