The Red Square Nebula is a celestial object located in the area of the sky occupied by star MWC 922 in the
constellation
A constellation is an area on the celestial sphere in which a group of visible stars forms Asterism (astronomy), a perceived pattern or outline, typically representing an animal, mythological subject, or inanimate object.
The origins of the e ...
Serpens. The first images of this
bipolar nebula, taken using the
Mt. Palomar Hale telescope in
California, were released in April 2007. It is notable for its square shape, which according to
Sydney University
The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's six ...
astrophysicist Peter Tuthill, makes it one of the most nearly discrete-symmetrical celestial objects ever imaged.
The explanation proposed by Tuthill and his collaborator James Lloyd of
Cornell University is that the square shape arises from two cone shapes placed tip-to-tip, as seen from the side. This also explains the "double-ring" structure seen in
SN 1987A.
[
A series of faint spokes radiate from the center of the structure. One possible explanation is that these spokes are shadows cast by periodic ripples or waves on the surface of an inner disk close to the central star.][
There is no clear explanation of how the central star could produce the nebula's shape:
]Towards the end of their lives, many low-mass stars, like the Sun, slough off their outer layers to produce striking 'planetary' nebulae. But the hot star at the heart of the Red Square nebula, called MWC 922, appears to be relatively massive, suggesting another process formed its signature shape. "How did all this beautiful, crisp structure form?" asks Peter Tuthill of the University of Sydney in Australia. "This is the million dollar question."
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Red Square Nebula
Protoplanetary nebulae
Serpens (constellation)
B(e) stars