Boomerang Nebula
Encyclopedia
The Boomerang Nebula is a protoplanetary nebula
located 5,000 light-years away from Earth
in the constellation Centaurus
. The nebula is measured at 1 K (-272.2 °C; -457.9 °F), the naturally coldest place currently known in the Universe. The Boomerang Nebula was formed from the outflow of gas from a star at its core. The gas is moving outwards at a speed of about 164 km/s and expanding rapidly as it moves out into space. This expansion is the cause of the nebula's very low temperature.
The Boomerang Nebula was photographed in detail by the Hubble Space Telescope
in 1998. It is believed that the nebula is a star
or stellar system evolving toward the planetary nebula phase
.
Keith Taylor and Mike Scarrott called it the 'Boomerang Nebula' in 1980 after observing it with the Anglo-Australian telescope at the Siding Spring Observatory
. Unable to view it with the same detail as with the Hubble
, the astronomers saw merely a slight asymmetry in the nebula's lobes, suggesting a curved shape like a boomerang
. The high-resolution Hubble images indicate that the 'Bow Tie Nebula' would perhaps have been a better name.
In 1995, using the 15-metre Swedish ESO
Submillimetre Telescope in Chile
, astronomers revealed that it is the coldest place in the Universe found so far, besides the laboratory-created Bose-Einstein condensate state of matter. With a temperature of −272 °C, it is only 1 °C warmer than absolute zero (the lowest limit for all temperatures). Even the −270 °C background glow from the Big Bang
is warmer than the nebula. It is the only object found so far that has a temperature lower than the background radiation. The Boomerang Nebula is also listed as
PGC 3074547.
Protoplanetary nebula
A protoplanetary nebula or preplanetary nebula is an astronomical object which is at the short-lived episode during a star's rapid stellar evolution between the late asymptotic giant branch phase and the subsequent planetary nebula phase. A PPN emits strongly in infrared radiation, and is a...
located 5,000 light-years away from Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
in the constellation Centaurus
Centaurus
Centaurus is a bright constellation in the southern sky. One of the largest constellations, Centaurus was included among the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy, and it remains one of the 88 modern constellations.-Stars:...
. The nebula is measured at 1 K (-272.2 °C; -457.9 °F), the naturally coldest place currently known in the Universe. The Boomerang Nebula was formed from the outflow of gas from a star at its core. The gas is moving outwards at a speed of about 164 km/s and expanding rapidly as it moves out into space. This expansion is the cause of the nebula's very low temperature.
Hubble Space Telescope
The Hubble Space Telescope is a space telescope that was carried into orbit by a Space Shuttle in 1990 and remains in operation. A 2.4 meter aperture telescope in low Earth orbit, Hubble's four main instruments observe in the near ultraviolet, visible, and near infrared...
in 1998. It is believed that the nebula is a star
Star
A star is a massive, luminous sphere of plasma held together by gravity. At the end of its lifetime, a star can also contain a proportion of degenerate matter. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun, which is the source of most of the energy on Earth...
or stellar system evolving toward the planetary nebula phase
Planetary nebula
A planetary nebula is an emission nebula consisting of an expanding glowing shell of ionized gas ejected during the asymptotic giant branch phase of certain types of stars late in their life...
.
Keith Taylor and Mike Scarrott called it the 'Boomerang Nebula' in 1980 after observing it with the Anglo-Australian telescope at the Siding Spring Observatory
Siding Spring Observatory
Siding Spring Observatory near Coonabarabran, New South Wales, Australia, part of the Research School of Astronomy & Astrophysics at the Australian National University , incorporates the Anglo-Australian Telescope along with a collection of other telescopes owned by the Australian National...
. Unable to view it with the same detail as with the Hubble
Hubble Space Telescope
The Hubble Space Telescope is a space telescope that was carried into orbit by a Space Shuttle in 1990 and remains in operation. A 2.4 meter aperture telescope in low Earth orbit, Hubble's four main instruments observe in the near ultraviolet, visible, and near infrared...
, the astronomers saw merely a slight asymmetry in the nebula's lobes, suggesting a curved shape like a boomerang
Boomerang
A boomerang is a flying tool with a curved shape used as a weapon or for sport.-Description:A boomerang is usually thought of as a wooden device, although historically boomerang-like devices have also been made from bones. Modern boomerangs used for sport are often made from carbon fibre-reinforced...
. The high-resolution Hubble images indicate that the 'Bow Tie Nebula' would perhaps have been a better name.
In 1995, using the 15-metre Swedish ESO
ESO
ESO, as a three-letter abbreviation, may stand for:* European Southern Observatory* Ensemble Studios Online* English Symphony Orchestra* Edmonton Symphony Orchestra* Executive Stock Options...
Submillimetre Telescope in Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, astronomers revealed that it is the coldest place in the Universe found so far, besides the laboratory-created Bose-Einstein condensate state of matter. With a temperature of −272 °C, it is only 1 °C warmer than absolute zero (the lowest limit for all temperatures). Even the −270 °C background glow from the Big Bang
Big Bang
The Big Bang theory is the prevailing cosmological model that explains the early development of the Universe. According to the Big Bang theory, the Universe was once in an extremely hot and dense state which expanded rapidly. This rapid expansion caused the young Universe to cool and resulted in...
is warmer than the nebula. It is the only object found so far that has a temperature lower than the background radiation. The Boomerang Nebula is also listed as
PGC 3074547.
External links
- The Boomerang Nebula - The Coolest Place in the Universe?, ESAEuropean Space AgencyThe European Space Agency , established in 1975, is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to the exploration of space, currently with 18 member states...
, 20 February 2003 - Hubble's View of the Boomerang Nebula, 13 September 2005; see also Scattered Light from the Boomerang Nebula
- ESA/Hubble-Boomerang Nebula
- SIMBAD, Coordinates and Scientific data. January 4, 2007.