Gomez's Hamburger
Encyclopedia
Gomez's Hamburger is believed to be a young star surrounded by a protoplanetary disk
. It was initially identified as a protoplanetary nebula
(i.e. an old dying star), and its distance therefore wrongly estimated to be approximately 6500 light-years away from planet Earth
. However, recent results suggest that this object is a young star surrounded by a protoplanetary disk
whose distance is only around 900 light-years away.
It was discovered in 1985 on sky photographs obtained by Arturo Gomez, support technical staff at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory
near Vicuña
, Chile
. The photos suggested that there was a dark band across the object, but its exact structure was difficult to determine because of the atmospheric turbulence that hampers all images taken from the ground. The star itself has a surface temperature of approximately 10,000 °C (18,000 °F).
The "hamburger buns" are light reflecting off dust, and the "patty" is the dark band of dust in the middle.
Protoplanetary disk
A protoplanetary disk is a rotating circumstellar disk of dense gas surrounding a young newly formed star, a T Tauri star, or Herbig Ae/Be star...
. It was initially identified as a protoplanetary nebula
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...
(i.e. an old dying star), and its distance therefore wrongly estimated to be approximately 6500 light-years away from planet 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...
. However, recent results suggest that this object is a young star surrounded by a protoplanetary disk
Protoplanetary disk
A protoplanetary disk is a rotating circumstellar disk of dense gas surrounding a young newly formed star, a T Tauri star, or Herbig Ae/Be star...
whose distance is only around 900 light-years away.
It was discovered in 1985 on sky photographs obtained by Arturo Gomez, support technical staff at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory
Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory
The Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory is a complex of astronomical telescopes and instruments located at 30.169 S, 70.804 W, approximately 80 km to the East of La Serena, Chile at an altitude of 2200 metres. The complex is part of the National Optical Astronomy Observatory along with Kitt...
near Vicuña
Vicuña, Chile
Vicuña is a Chilean commune and city in Elqui Province, Coquimbo Region, founded during the government of Bernardo O'Higgins to secure sovereignty over the Elqui Valley. The famous Chilean poet Gabriela Mistral was born there in 1889. It borders to the west with the communes of La Higuera, La...
, 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...
. The photos suggested that there was a dark band across the object, but its exact structure was difficult to determine because of the atmospheric turbulence that hampers all images taken from the ground. The star itself has a surface temperature of approximately 10,000 °C (18,000 °F).
The "hamburger buns" are light reflecting off dust, and the "patty" is the dark band of dust in the middle.