mardi 13 septembre 2016
This Mesmerizing GIF Will Show You That Stars Can Blow Bubbles Just Like You
There's no cheap thrill quite like the satisfaction of blowing bubbles on a warm day - except maybe watching a star blow a bubble. You read that correctly. NASA's Hubble Space Telescope recently recorded a "super-hot, massive star" as it blew a bubble into space.
The telescope captured this moment back in February 2016 with "unprecedented clarity," according to NASA. What is it exactly, though? Known as the Bubble Nebula, it was first discovered in 1787. It's basically formed by the interaction of dense, cold gas with warmer gas. Because different gases are colliding, different colors are produced. Oxygen emits blue light when the temperature is hot enough; the reaction of hydrogen and nitrogen creates the cooler colors. NASA points out that the star producing this Bubble Nebula is 45 times larger than our sun and 7,100 light years from earth.
The video itself is stunning, but know what's even more staggering? Hubble has been in orbit since April 24, 1990, and has continuously captured mesmerizing videos of stars. To celebrate that fact, NASA released this specific video to celebrate the Hubble Telescope's 26th birthday. Watch the Bubble Nebula in action below, and then check out more amazing space imagery.
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