Astronomy Picture of the Day ·

Runaway Star

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for December 3, 1997 is “Runaway Star,” an image. It is credited to Credit: L. Kaper et. al. (ESO). The original explanation runs about 148 words.

Runaway Star
Credit: L. Kaper et. al. (ESO) Shown from science.nasa.gov. Not hosted by OpenOrbit.

From the explanation

“Runaway stars are massive stars traveling rapidly through interstellar space. Like a ship plowing through the interstellar medium , runaway star HD 77581 has produced this graceful arcing bow wave or “bow shock” – compressing the gaseous material in its path.”

— APOD editors, December 3, 1997

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date
December 3, 1997
Type
Image
Credit
Credit: L. Kaper et. al. (ESO)
Copyright
No copyright notice on the entry. Check the credited institution’s own usage rules before reusing it.
Explanation length
About 148 words

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On this day: December 3 in other years

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Source

Copy taken Oct 28, 2026, 2:39 AM EDT. The image and explanation belong to their creators. OpenOrbit is not affiliated with or endorsed by NASA.