The "Finger of God" globule is a Bok globule and dark nebula located around 7,300 light-years away from Earth, within the Carina Nebula.[1][2] It is ~2 light years across, and got its name due to the finger-like shape located directly on top of the main nebula.
| Molecular cloud | |
|---|---|
| Bok globule | |
| dark nebula | |
 Image of the "Finger of God". | |
| Observation data: J2000.0 epoch | |
| Right ascension | 10h 44m 31.2s |
| Declination | −59° 39′ 56″ |
| Constellation | Carina |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Radius | `~2 ly |
| Designations | "God's Birdie", "Carina Defiant Finger" |
Etymology
editThe name "Finger of God" came from the structure located on the northern tip of the globule. It is also informally called "God's Birdie" or the "Defiant Finger", named for its resemblance to a hand with its middle finger raised, which is sometimes referred to as "flipping the bird".[3]
Location
editThe globule is located near the Keyhole Nebula, which itself is located within the Carina Nebula. It is positioned near many other small Bok globules, and is one of the larger objects in its area.[3]
Description
editThe Finger of God is a relatively small Bok globule located inside of the Carina Nebula. It has an elongated shape, and 2 distinct regions. The first is the "hand" or "wrist",[3] which is the large, bulging portion of the globule located on its northern portions. The second distinct region is the "finger" or "birdie",[4] located at the northern ridge of the hand structure. It points toward its probable sources of ionized radiation, WR25 and Tr16-244.[5][6][4]
The globule is around 2 light-years in diameter, and is composed largely of molecular gasses. It may be illuminated by stars located behind it. It contains around 6 solar masses worth of stellar material.[6]
Although the globule is estimated to disappear in 200,000-1,000,000 years, star formation within it is likely.[5][6]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ [email protected]. "Wide-field image showing the region of WR 25 and Tr16-244". www.spacetelescope.org. Retrieved 2024-07-16.
- ^ Haikala, L. K.; Gahm, G. F.; Grenman, T.; Makela, M. M.; Persson, C. M. (13 June 2017). "Radio observations of globulettes in the Carina nebula". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 602: 8. arXiv:1703.09466. Bibcode:2017A&A...602A..61H. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201730508. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
- ^ a b c Hartigan, P.; Reiter, M.; Smith, N.; Bally, J. (February 12, 2015). "A Survey of Irradiated Pillars, Globules, and Jets in the Carina Nebula". The Astronomical Journal. 149 (3): 101. arXiv:1502.03798. Bibcode:2015AJ....149..101H. doi:10.1088/0004-6256/149/3/101. ISSN 1538-3881.
- ^ a b Staff (November 25, 2008). "WR 25 And Tr16-244: Previously Unseen Mammoth Stars Get The Hubble Treatment". Science 2.0. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
- ^ a b Smith, Nathan; Barbá, Rodolfo; R. Walborn, Nolan (July 4, 2004). "Carina's defiant Finger: HST observations of a photoevaporating globule in NGC 3372". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
- ^ a b c Starr, Michelle (2020-12-31). "This Epic Space Cloud Is Nicely Summing Up Our Farewell to 2020". ScienceAlert. Retrieved 2024-07-16.