Hubble image archive
Tracing an Element in Two Stars
Hubble’s ULLYSES program will observe the ultraviolet light stars emit—and spread that light into its component wavelengths, which are known as spectra. These spectra show the presence of iron in two stars. The star in Sextans A, represented in purple, doesn’t contain much iron,...
- Date
- Apr 24, 1990
- Mission
- Hubble Space Telescope
- Archive ID
- hubblesite-images-4774-image
Hubble’s ULLYSES program will observe the ultraviolet light stars emit—and spread that light into its component wavelengths, which are known as spectra. These spectra show the presence of iron in two stars. The star in Sextans A, represented in purple, doesn’t contain much iron, which implies that it may have formed from elements that made up the early universe, which contained a higher percentage of hydrogen and helium. The star in the Large Magellanic Cloud, represented in teal, has dips that reflect the presence of iron. This star is made from the elements expelled into its environment from previous generations of stars. The amounts of heavier elements, such as iron, can affect the life of the star and the strength of its winds.
Credits
NASA, ESA, and Z. Levy (STScI)
Downloads
Source
Image and source material are credited to the official mission archive linked below.
View on NASA.gov