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Hubble snaps brilliant picture of ‘Red Rectangle’ nebula

Mihai AndreibyMihai Andrei
April 13, 2016 - Updated on July 25, 2023
in Astronomy, Astrophysics, News, Space
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We don’t give it a lot of through, but things in space are generally round. Not the Red Rectangle though – this nebula is… well, rectangular.

via NASA/Hubble.

According to NASA, this is actually a binary star system. The stars at its center are similar to the Sun, but they are reaching the end of its lifetime as a star, and hence ejecting gas and other material to make the nebula, giving it its distinctive shape. NASA writes:

“The Red Rectangle is an unusual example of what is known as a proto-planetary nebula. These are old stars, on their way to becoming planetary nebulae. Once the expulsion of mass is complete a very hot white dwarf star will remain and its brilliant ultraviolet radiation will cause the surrounding gas to glow. The Red Rectangle is found about 2,300 light-years away in the constellation Monoceros (the Unicorn).”

Before, astrophysicists were unsure why this nebula had the shape and color it does, but this Hubble picture sheds a lot of light on the issue. The binary system is shooting out gas in an ‘X’ shape, and the color comes from the hydrogen ejection.

In a way, this nebula is providing a glimpse into the future of our own sun. It too will become brighter and brighter and ultimately start ejecting gas and matter, completing its transformation into a white dwarf. However, this won’t happen anytime soon, we still have a few billion years to wait, so let’s enjoy this red rectangle in the meantime.

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Mihai Andrei

Mihai Andrei

Dr. Andrei Mihai is a geophysicist and founder of ZME Science. He has a Ph.D. in geophysics and archaeology and has completed courses from prestigious universities (with programs ranging from climate and astronomy to chemistry and geology). He is passionate about making research more accessible to everyone and communicating news and features to a broad audience.

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