<p>HH 24, a region 1,500 light-years from Earth in the constellation Orion, ejects lightsaber-like jets of energized gas. The jets—which flow from <a href="http://www.gemini.edu/node/12429">a protostar cluster</a>—create shockwaves that form <a href="http://astronomy.swin.edu.au/cosmos/h/herbig-haro+object">Herbig-Haro objects</a>, the visible “beams.”</p>
The Force Awakens
HH 24, a region 1,500 light-years from Earth in the constellation Orion, ejects lightsaber-like jets of energized gas. The jets—which flow from a protostar cluster—create shockwaves that form Herbig-Haro objects, the visible “beams.”
- Week's Best Space Pictures
Week's Best Space Pictures: Orion's Lightsabers and Dust Doughnuts
Saturn’s moons form a near-perfect bullseye, and a galaxy glows pink with X-rays.
Feed your need for heavenly views of the universe. This week, jets of energized gas create visible shockwaves in deep space, hurricanes form a single-file line across the Pacific Ocean, and a ring of space dust holds a surprising secret in its inner sanctum.
DON'T MISS THE REST OF THIS STORY!
Create a free account to continue and get unlimited access to hundreds of Nat Geo articles, plus newsletters.
