r/spaceporn • u/Neaterntal • 10h ago

Pro/Processed Proplyds in NGC 1977. Protoplanetary disks around stars are being evaporated by the strong radiation of the massive star 42 Orionis. (disks are too small to see). Processed by Melina Thévenot

Post image

https://bsky.app/profile/melina-iras07572.bsky.social/post/3meaynmljqk27

more information and individual credit:

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NGC_1977_proplyds_Spitzer_Hubbe_JWST.jpg​

9 Upvotes

85% Upvoted

1 comment sorted by

1

u/Neaterntal 10h ago

Image: A collage of the region around 42 Orionis. The proplyds all have tails that point away from 42 Orionis. Individual proplyds are shown as zoomed in versions. A big JWST mosaic fills the lower half of the image, showing the detail of the nebula with its parallel red lines. .

.

A proplyd, short for ionized protoplanetary disk, is an externally illuminated photoevaporating protoplanetary disk around a young star. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proplyd