Artist’s Impression of a Giant-Giant Binary
This artist’s impression illustrates a binary pair of giant stars. Despite being born from the same molecular cloud, astronomers often detect differences in binary stars’ chemical compositions and planetary systems. One star in this system is shown to host three small, rocky planets, while the other star hosts two gas giants. Using Gemini South’s GHOST, a team of astronomers have confirmed for the first time that these differences can be traced back to inhomogeneities in the primordial molecular cloud from which the stars were born.
Credit:NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/J. da Silva (Spaceengine)/M. Zamani
About the Image
Id: | noirlab2410a |
Type: | Artwork |
Release date: | April 29, 2024, 9 a.m. |
Related releases: | noirlab2410 |
Size: | 5120 x 2880 px |
About the Object
Category: | Illustrations |
Image Formats
Large JPEG
1.6 MB
Publication TIFF 4K
11.4 MB
Publication JPEG
936.7 KB
Screensize JPEG
87.1 KB