This Hubble Space Telescopes Wide Field Camera 3 image shows the Herbig-Haro object HH111. It is located approximately 1,300 light years from Earth. Herbig-Haro objects are young stars that blast superheated jets through the surrounding clouds of dust or gas. (Image credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, B. Nisini)
In a stunning new photograph taken by the Hubble Space telescope, a flaming blue sword appears to penetrate a gigantic cosmic heart.
The "sword" is made up of two jets of superheated, ionized gases that are rocketing into space at opposite poles from a star called IRAS 05491+0247. According to Hubble team members, the "heart" is the remnant dust and gas that surrounds the protostar.
The dramatic interaction of jets with clouds creates a rare celestial sight called a Herbig Haro object. Hubble photographed the one here, HH111. It is located approximately 1,300 light years from Earth in the constellation Orion.
Related: Here are the best Hubble Space Telescope photos of all time
Hubble captured this image with its Wide Field Camera 3(WFC3) instrument. This observes in both infrared (heat), and optical wavelengths of light.
"Herbig-Haro objects actually emit a lot light at optical wavelengths but they are difficult for observers because their surrounding gas and dust absorb most of the visible light," European Space Agency officials wrote in a description to the image, which was published today (Aug.30).
They explained that the WFC3's ability at infrared wavelengths, where observations are not affected as much by dust and gas, is critical to successfully observing [Herbig] Haro objects.
Hubble was a NASA-ESA joint mission that launched on April 9, 1990 aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery to low Earth orbit. The iconic observatory's first images were blurry. This was due to a flaw within Hubble's primary mirror, which measures 7.9 feet wide (2.4 meters).
In December 1993, Spacewalking astronauts solved the problem. Hubble was then upgraded and maintained through four additional servicing missions. The WFC3 instrument, which was installed on the final Hubble-bound spacecraft flight in May 2009, was used to track the progress of Hubble.
Hubble still provides amazing views of the cosmos but has started to age and astronauts cannot access it without the shuttle. Although technically it is possible for a crewed vehicle like SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule to reach Hubble, this idea has apparently not been thoroughly investigated. Recent glitches have been fixed by the telescope, including a computer issue that shut down its supersharp eyes for over a month in summer.
