Hubble image archive

Hubble Observations of Massive Stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud

This is the Hubble Space Telescope Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) observation of 30 Dor #016 compared with one by the Hubble Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) of the similar star HDE 269810, also in the Large Magellanic Cloud.The stellar-wind features of helium, carb...

Date
Jan 1, 2010
Mission
Hubble Space Telescope
Archive ID
hubblesite-images-2010-14-2722-image
By

This is the Hubble Space Telescope Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) observation of 30 Dor #016 compared with one by the Hubble Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) of the similar star HDE 269810, also in the Large Magellanic Cloud.

The stellar-wind features of helium, carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen are identified by their chemical symbols above; the roman numerals indicate the ionization stages, i.e., the number of electrons removed plus one. ("I" would indicate the neutral atom.) The broad emission components plus blue-shifted absorption are diagnostics of the stellar winds; the absorption forms along the line of sight to the stellar disk, where the wind is approaching us at its full speed. The O V line is a unique feature of the hottest (O2-O3) stars.

The science figure is from C. Evans (Royal Observatory Edinburgh) and his runaway star research team's study, published on May 5, 2010 in the online issue of The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

Credits

NASA, ESA, and C. Evans, et al. (from The Astrophysical Journal, vol. 715, p. L74, 2010)

Image Details

About The Object
Object Name30 Dor #016
Object DescriptionMassive Runaway Star in the Large Magellanic Cloud
R.A. Position05h 37m 8.87s
Dec. Position-69° 7' 20.35"
ConstellationDorado
Distance170,000 light-years (52,000 parsecs)
About The Data
Data DescriptionThe 30 Doradus "runaway" star study is based on Hubble COS data from proposal : G. Hartig (STScI), T. Delker (Ball Aerospace), C. Keyes (STScI), D. Sahnow (Johns Hopkins University), and S. Osterman (University of Colorado, Boulder). Authors of the 30 Doradus "runaway" star science paper: C. Evans (UK Astronomy Technology Center/Royal Observatory Edinburgh), N. Walborn (STScI), P. Crowther (University of Sheffield, UK), V. Hénault-Brunet (University of Edinburgh/Royal Observatory Edinburgh), D. Massa (STScI), W. Taylor (University of Edinburgh/Royal Observatory Edinburgh), I. Howarth (University College London), H. Sana (European Southern Observatory, Santiago, Chile/University of Amsterdam), D. Lennon (STScI), and J. van Loon (Keele University, UK).
InstrumentHST>COS
Exposure DatesJuly 20-25, 2009, Exposure Time: 2.8 hours
FiltersG130M (UV) and G160M (UV)

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