Question: Consider the following statements regarding NGC- 6302:
1. It is a planetary nebula, commonly known as butterfly nebula.
2. It is 3800 light years away from earth and situated in Scorpius Constellation.
Choose the correct options of the following:
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) None of the above
Answer: (c)
Related facts:
- Indian astrophysicists have discovered large ultraviolet lobes and jets, hurled out from a dying star, using data from Astrosat, the space observatory launched by the Indian Space Research Organization in 2015.
- The discovery has been published in Astrosat Picture Of the Month (APOM) for October 2018.
- Pro. Kameshwara Rao of Indian Institute of Astrophysics and his collaborators used the Ultra Violet Imaging Telescope (UVIT) on board Astrosat to study a planetary nebula called NGC 6302.
- When a hydrogen and helium fuel gets exhausted, the star expands in size and becomes a red giant star then it sheds most of its outer layer which expands outwards. The inner core which is made of carbon and oxygen shrinks and becomes hotter. This hot core shines brightly. This glowing ionized gas is what is seen as a Planetary Nebula.
- The Scorpius constellation lies between Libra and Sagittarius to the east. It is a large constellation located in the southern hemisphere near the centre of the Milky Way.
- ASTROSAT is India’s first dedicated multi wavelength space observatory which endeavors for a more detailed understanding of our universe. It enables the simultaneous multi-wavelength observations of various astronomical objects with a single satellite. ASTROSAT is launched on 28th September, 2015 by ISRO.
- ASTROSAT observes universe in the optical, ultraviolet, low and high energy X-ray regions of the electromagnetic spectrum.
By Ramayan Upadhyay
Links:
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/science/indian-scientists-discover-ultraviolet-wings-of-butterfly-nebula/articleshow/66445833.cms
https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/science/astrosat-discovers-ultraviolet-wings-of-butterfly-nebula/article25361455.ece
https://thewire.in/the-sciences/isros-astrosat-discovers-ultraviolet-wings-on-the-butterfly-nebula
https://www.britannica.com/science/nebula
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scorpius
https://www.isro.gov.in/Spacecraft/astrosat