¿Joven o vieja? — Hay de las dos
La Imagen de la Semana de hoy representa un momento inesperado en el que vemos cómo se cierra el círculo. Durante mucho tiempo, se creyó que este objeto, conocido como Ve 7–27, era una nebulosa planetaria (la fase final de la vida de una estrella similar al sol). Pero el VLT (Very Large Telescope) de ESO ha demostrado que, en realidad, es una estrella bebé aún en formación.
Durante años se debatió sobre la verdadera naturaleza de esta nebulosa, pero ahora el instrumento MUSE del VLT ha captado la primera imagen detallada de este objeto. En ella se ve que Ve 7-27 está disparando energéticos chorros con nudos o 'balas' en su entorno, lo cual es típico de estrellas recién nacidas. "En lugar de ser el 'último aliento' de una estrella moribunda, Ve 7-27 es una recién nacida", declara Janette Suherli, doctoranda en la Universidad de Manitoba (Canadá), y primera autora del estudio que reveló este sorprendente hallazgo.
Pero sí que hay una estrella muerta acechando muy cerca. La mancha compacta de color verde amarillento en la parte del centro-izquierda de esta imagen, alberga una estrella de neutrones, un tipo de estrella que surge cuando una estrella masiva explota como supernova. Esta nebulosa forma parte de una nube mayor expulsada por la explosión, el remanente de supernova Vela Junior. Las observaciones de MUSE revelaron que la estrella bebé Ve 7-27 está incrustada en el material expulsado por esta supernova. Anteriormente, no se había podido precisar la distancia a Vela Junior con exactitud, pero ahora sabemos que este objeto está cerca de Ve 7-27. Como se sabe que Ve 7-27 está a unos 4500 años luz, también lo está Vela Junior. Localizar la distancia a Vela Junior significa que por fin sabemos su tamaño, la rapidez con la que se está expandiendo y, a su vez, podemos saber cuánto tiempo hace que explotó la supernova, solucionando décadas de inconsistencias. Por tanto, el descubrimiento ofrece información, no solo sobre la energética estrella bebé, sino también sobre la verdadera naturaleza de Vela Junior, y representa un "caso sobresaliente de nacimiento estelar y muerte estelar coexistiendo en el mismo entorno", como describe Suherli.
Enlaces
- Artículo científico
- Comunicado de prensa de la Universidad de Manitoba
ESO/J. Suherli et al.
Sobre la imagen
| Identificador: | potw2604a |
| Idioma: | es-cl |
| Tipo: | Observación |
| Fecha de publicación: | 26 de Enero de 2026 a las 15:00 |
| Tamaño: | 1416 x 2012 px |
Sobre el objeto
| Nombre: | Ve 7–27, Vela Junior |
| Tipo: | Milky Way : Star : Evolutionary Stage : Young Stellar Object Milky Way : Star : Evolutionary Stage : Neutron Star Milky Way : Nebula : Type : Supernova Remnant Milky Way : Nebula : Type : Jet |
Fondo de pantalla
Colores y filtros
| Banda | Longitud de onda | Telescopio |
|---|---|---|
| Óptico Nickel | 737 nm | Very Large Telescope MUSE |
| Óptico Nitrogen | 658 nm | Very Large Telescope MUSE |
| Óptico H-alpha | 656 nm | Very Large Telescope MUSE |
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