NASA space telescope captures first clear X-ray image of a sun-like star blowing a bubble

Using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, astronomers detected X-ray emission outlining an astrosphere around HD 61005, a young sun-like star about 120 light-years away; the result is the first clear X-ray view of such a stellar bubble.

Astronomers used NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory to observe HD 61005, a young star about 120 light-years from Earth with a mass and temperature similar to the sun. They detected faint, extended X-ray emission that outlines a large bubble of hot gas, called an astrosphere, formed where the star's wind collides with surrounding interstellar material. HD 61005 is roughly 100 million years old and shows a stronger, denser stellar wind than the present-day sun. The observation provides a rare X-ray look at a stellar bubble beyond our solar system. Key details: - The detection was made with NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and reveals faint, extended X-ray emission around HD 61005. - The observed structure is an astrosphere, a wind-blown cavity produced where a stellar wind meets interstellar gas and dust. - HD 61005 is about 120 light-years away and is estimated to be near 100 million years old. - Researchers report the star's wind is roughly three times faster and about 25 times denser than the sun's current wind, while its local interstellar environment appears about 1,000 times denser. - Astronomers call the star Moth because of a wing-shaped debris disk seen in infrared light. Summary: The Chandra image gives astronomers their clearest X-ray view yet of an astrosphere around a sun-like star and helps illustrate how stronger stellar winds in youth can shape a star's surroundings. The team's findings have been accepted for publication by The Astrophysical Journal.