South of the large star-forming region known as the Orion Nebula, lies a
mysterious structure dubbed NGC 1999. NGC 199 is actually a
dust-filled bright nebula. And while it may seem like many other
similar nebulae out there, this one is unique for an important reason: it has a
vast hole of empty space, represented by a black patch of sky.
Previous studies assumed that the mysterious black patch in the sky was
in fact due to an extremely dense cloud of dust and gas that blocked all light
which normally passes through. Such structures are referred to as dark nebulas.
A dark nebula or absorption nebula is a type
of interstellar cloud that is so dense that it obscures the light
from objects behind it.
However, analysis of this region of the sky using the infrared Herschel telescope (which
has the capability of penetrating such dense cloud material) on October 9,
2009, revealed in continued ‘black space‘.
This mean two things:
1. Either the cloud
material was so dense that we simply couldn’t peer through it;
2. Or scientists have
detected an unexplained phenomenon in outer space.
Follow-up studies supported by ground-based observations using
the submillimeter bolometer cameras on the Atacama
Pathfinder Experiment radio telescope and the Mayall (Kitt
Peak) and Magellan telescopes deepened the mystery. Scientists
determined that the mysterious patch of dark space is not black because of
extremely dense pockets of gas, but because there’s actually nothing there; it
is truly empty space.
This is one of the greatest cosmic mysteries discovered to date. In fact,
scientists have still not been able to fully explain how something like this
can exist. Some astronomers speculate that the cause of this empty space is
jets of hot gas coming from young stars that have helped created a hole through
space. Others believe that powerful radiation from nearby stars helped created
this mysterious emptiness.
The exact reason behind the empty space remains subject to speculation. Understanding
what exactly the cause of this strange cosmic phenomenon is, could help us
better understand how stars are formed in outer space.
The
NGC 1999 nebula is illuminated by a bright, recently formed star, visible in
the Hubble photo (above) just to the left of center.
This star is cataloged as V380 Orionis, and its white color is due to its
high surface temperature of about 10,000 degrees Celsius (nearly twice that of
our own Sun). Its mass is estimated to be 3.5 times that of the Sun. The star
is so young that it is still surrounded by a cloud of material left over from
its formation, here seen as the NGC 1999 reflection nebula.
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