Explanation:
The orange star centered in this remarkable
telescopic skyview
is T Tauri, prototype of the class of
T Tauri
variable stars.
Nearby it is a dusty yellow cosmic cloud
historically known
as Hind's Variable Nebula (NGC 1555/1554).
Over 400 light-years away, at the edge of a molecular cloud,
both star and nebula
are seen to vary significantly in
brightness but not necessarily at the same time, adding to the mystery of
the intriguing region.
T Tauri stars are now generally recognized as young
(less than a few million years old),
sun-like stars still in the
early stages of
formation.
To further
complicate the picture, infrared observations indicate
that T Tauri itself is part of a multiple system and
suggest that the associated
Hind's
Nebula may also contain a very young stellar object.
The dramatic color image spans about 4 light-years at the estimated
distance
of T Tauri.
