This image describes a bipolar planetary nebula named PN Hb 12, which is also known as Hubble 12. The nebula is located in the constellation of Cassiopeia. The nebula’s unique and striking shape, which resembles a butterfly or an hourglass, was created as a result of a Sun-like star nearing the end of its life. As the star reached the end of its life cycle, it expelled its outer layers into the surrounding space. For bipolar nebulae like PN Hb 12, this material is funneled towards the poles of the aging star, creating a distinctive double-lobed structure. This material is then ionized by the ultraviolet radiation emitted by the central star, causing it to glow and create the beautiful and intricate patterns seen in the nebula.
Overall, the chapter provides an explanation for the formation of a bipolar planetary nebula, using PN Hb 12 as an example.The passage highlights the beautiful and complex structures that can be formed in space as stars reach the end of their lives, and provides insight into the processes that drive these phenomena.This image describes a surprising observation made using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope and the New Technology Telescope. According to the observations, bipolar planetary nebulae that are located towards the central bulge of our Milky Way appear to be strangely aligned in the sky, despite their varied and chaotic formation.
Bipolar planetary nebulae are formed when a star approaches the end of its life and expels its outer layers into space. As a result, the ejected material takes on a bipolar shape, with two lobes pointing in opposite directions. These lobes are often highly irregular in shape and orientation, with no apparent alignment between different nebulae.However, the observations made using the Hubble Space Telescope and the New Technology Telescope suggest that bipolar planetary nebulae located towards the central bulge of the Milky Way are somehow aligned in the sky. This result is surprising, as it suggests that there may be some underlying physical mechanism that is driving the formation and orientation of these nebulae.
Overall, the chapter provides an interesting and unexpected result from observations made using two powerful telescopes. The finding suggests that there may be more to the formation and evolution of bipolar planetary nebulae than previously thought, and raises new questions about the processes that drive the structure and evolution of our galaxy.The statement “PN Hb 12 was not part of the new study” means that the astronomical object named PN Hb 12 was not included in a recently conducted study. This suggests that the study did not investigate or analyze this particular object.
The second part of the sentence, “A version of this image was entered into the Hubble’s Hidden Treasures image processing competition by contestant Josh Barrington,” refers to an image related to PN Hb 12. It seems that Josh Barrington, a participant in Hubble’s Hidden Treasures image processing competition, submitted a version of an image that is related to PN Hb 12 for the competition. This competition likely involves participants processing and enhancing images taken by the Hubble Space Telescope to bring out hidden details or improve the overall image quality.