T Tauri and NGC 1555
T Tauri is a famous variable star in the constellation of Taurus. In this image, it is the star at the center of the image, embedded in dust and gas. The nebula itself is known as NGC 1555. T Tauri is the prototype for a class of stars (known collectively as 'T Tau stars') that are notable because they are very young stars in the process of forming. These stars have just recently emerged from the dense dust and gas cocoons from which they formed.
| Observatory: | Kitt Peak National Observatory Kitt Peak, Arizona |
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| Telescope: | KPNO 4-Meter |
| Instrument: | Mosaic I |
| Astronomer: | T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage) and H. Schweiker (WIYN and NOAO/AURA/NSF) |
| Date of Observation: | 10-24-2008 |
| Filters and Assigned Colors: | B (blue), V (green) and I (red) |
| Exposure Times: | 5x10min for B, 5x7min for V and 5x5min for I |
| Location of Image: | Taurus |
| Field of View: | 34.0 x 34.8 arcmin |
| Orientation: | North is left, East is down |
| Link to Larger Image | |
| Link to Full Resolution Image | |
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