Chandra Spots Sun-like Star’s Astrosphere, Echoing Early Solar Wind
TL;DR
NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory detected an astrosphere around HD 61005, the first image of a Sun-like star’s wind-blown bubble. Located about 120 light-years away and ~100 million years old, HD 61005’s wind is ~3× faster and ~25× denser than the young Sun’s, creating a bubble roughly 200 AU across as it moves through surrounding interstellar gas. The star, nicknamed the “Moth” for its dusty infrared wings, offers a glimpse into the Sun’s past and how its heliosphere may have looked billions of years ago.
- Young ‘Sun’ Caught Blowing Bubbles by NASA’s Chandra NASA (.gov)
- NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory captures protective bubble around distant star primetimer.com
- NASA’s Chandra Captures Young Star Surrounded by a Glowing Bubble TechEBlog -
- NASA’s Chandra Detects a Sun-Like Star “Blowing Bubbles” DIYPhotography
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