The Red Rectangle Nebula from Hubble June 16, 2010 How was the
unusual Red Rectangle nebula created? At the nebula's center is
an aging binary star system that surely powers the nebula but
does not, as yet, explain its colors. The unusual shape of the
Red Rectangle is likely due to a thick dust torus which pinches
the otherwise spherical outflow into tip-touching cone shapes.
Because we view the torus edge-on, the boundary edges of the
cone shapes seem to form an X. The distinct rungs suggest the
outflow occurs in fits and starts. The unusual colors of the
nebula are less well understood, however, and current
speculation holds that they are partly provided by hydrocarbon
molecules that may actually be building blocks for organic life.
The Red Rectangle nebula lies about 2,300 light years away
towards the constellation of the Unicorn (Monoceros). The nebula
is shown above in unprecedented detail as captured recently by
the Hubble Space Telescope. In a few million years, as one of
the central stars becomes furt