Traute Zweisamkeit
Wir Menschen werden im Laufe unseres Lebens stark von der Anwesenheit anderer Menschen beeinflusst, die uns emotional, kulturell oder intellektuell prägen. Dieser prägende Effekt wird im Falle von Sternen und ihren Begleitern, die das Thema des heutigen Bildes der Woche sind, wörtlich genommen. Die beiden Punkte in der Bildmitte, aufgenommen mit dem Very Large Telescope (VLT) der ESO, sind ein altes Sternpaar – ein Doppelsystem mit der offiziellen Bezeichnung AFGL 4106. Da die meisten Sterne paarweise entstehen, ist es für Astronom*innen eine wichtige Frage, wie sich das Leben zu zweit auf den Tod eines Sterns auswirkt.
Bevor sie sterben, stoßen Sterne große Mengen an Gas und Staub aus, die Bausteine für eine wachsende Nebelwolke. Die hier gezeigten massereichen Sterne befinden sich in einer ähnlichen, aber dennoch unterschiedlichen späten Phase ihres Lebenszyklus, wobei einer von ihnen genug Masse abgestoßen hat, um eine staubige Hülle um sich herum zu bilden. In einer neuen Veröffentlichung unter der Leitung von Gabriel Tomassini, Doktorand an der Université Côte d’Azur (Frankreich), haben Forscher*innen dieses Material, hier in Orange dargestellt, kartiert und die Zentralsterne (schwarz markiert) genau charakterisiert.
Die Abbildung astronomischer Objekte in der Nähe von Sternen stellt aufgrund der überwältigenden Helligkeit der Sterne eine Herausforderung dar. Tatsächlich erscheinen die Sterne selbst schwarz, da ihre Helligkeit den Detektor des für die Aufnahme dieses Bildes verwendeten Instruments übersteuert. Glücklicherweise ist das SPHERE-Instrument am VLT gut für große Kontraste in der Lichtstärke ausgerüstet, so dass erstmals sowohl die lichtstarken Sterne als auch die schwachen Nebel in ihrer Umgebung detailliert untersucht werden können. Darüber hinaus kann es die durch atmosphärische Turbulenzen verursachte Unschärfe korrigieren und liefert so sehr scharfe Bilder.
Die Form des Nebels zeigt den erheblichen Einfluss, den der Begleiter auf den Gasausstoß des sterbenden Sterns hat, indem er Asymmetrien verursacht und die Gas- und Staubwolken von einer perfekt kugelförmigen Gestalt weg verschiebt. Weitere Beobachtungen von Sternsystemen wie diesem ermöglichen es Wissenschaftler*innen, besser zu verstehen, wie die Anwesenheit von Begleitern den Tod von Sternen beeinflusst.
Link
Bildnachweis:ESO/G. Tomassini et al.
Über das Bild
| ID: | potw2608a |
| Sprache: | de-at |
| Typ: | Beobachtung |
| Veröffentlichungsdatum: | 23. Februar 2026 06:00 |
| Größe: | 1802 x 1802 px |
Über das Objekt
| Name: | AFGL 4106 |
| Typ: | Milky Way : Star : Grouping : Binary Milky Way : Star : Circumstellar Material |
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