Kappa Cassiopeiae
Bow shocks form where the magnetic fields and wind of particles flowing off a star collide with the diffuse, and usually invisible, gas and dust that fill the space between stars. How these shocks light up tells astronomers about the conditions around the star and in space. Slow-moving stars like our sun have bow shocks that are nearly invisible at all wavelengths of light, but fast stars like Kappa Cassiopeiae create shocks that can be seen by Spitzer’s infrared detectors.
Incredibly, this shock is created about 4 light-years ahead of Kappa Cassiopeiae, showing what a sizable impact this star has on its surroundings.Relevante Bilder
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Kappa Cassiopeiaeκ Cassiopeiae ist ein Stern im Sternbild Kassiopeia. Er bewegt sich relativ zum Interstellaren Medium mit sehr hoher Geschwindigkeit (Schnellläufer), wodurch vier Lichtjahre vor dem Stern eine Bugstoßwelle entsteht. .. weiterlesen