A new twist on an old nebula

FOR RELEASE: 10:00 am (EST) December 16, 2004

CONTACT:
Donna Weaver
Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD
(Phone: 410-338-4493; E-mail: )

David Salisbury
Vanberbilt University, Nashville, TN
(Phone: 615-343-6803; E-mail: )

PRESS RELEASE NO.: STScI-PR04-32


A NEW TWIST ON AN OLD NEBULA

Looks can be deceiving, especially when it comes to celestial objects
like galaxies and nebulas. These objects are so far away that
astronomers cannot see their three-dimensional structure. The Helix
Nebula, for example, resembles a doughnut in colorful images. Earlier
images of this complex object -- the gaseous envelope ejected by a
dying, sun-like star -- did not allow astronomers to precisely interpret
its structure. One possible interpretation was that the Helix's form
resembled a snake-like coil. Now, a team of astronomers using
observations from several observatories, including NASA's Hubble Space
Telescope, has established that the Helix's structure is even more
perplexing. Their evidence suggests that the Helix consists of two
gaseous disks nearly perpendicular to each other.

To see and read more, please visit:
http://hubblesite.org/news/2004/32
http://www.vanderbilt.edu/News

The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) is operated by the
Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc. (AURA), for
NASA, under contract with the Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt,
MD. The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation
between NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA).


--
--------------

Jacques :-)

www.spacepatches.info