HOPS 383

Infrared images from instruments at Kitt Peak National Observatory (left) and NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope document the outburst of HOPS 383, a young protostar in the Orion star-formation complex. The background is a wide view of the region taken from a Spitzer four-color infrared mosaic.
Observation data
Epoch J2000.0      Equinox J2000.0
Constellation Orion
Right ascension 5h 35m 29.81s
Declination −4° 59′ 51.1″
Characteristics
Evolutionary stage Class 0 protostar
Astrometry
Distance1,400 ly
(420 pc)
Other designations
HOPS 383
Database references
SIMBADdata

HOPS 383 is a Class 0 protostar. It is the first class-0 protostar discovered to have had an outburst,[1] and as of 2020, the youngest protostar known to have had an outburst.[1] The outburst, discovered by the Herschel Orion Protostar Survey (HOPS) team, was first reported in February 2015 in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.[2]

Observations

Outburst

HOPS 383 had an outburst between 2004 and 2006 (a "dramatic mid-infrared brightening"); the increase in magnitude was detectable at the 24 μm (35 times increase) and 4.5 μm, and was also detectable at the submillimetre.[3]: 2  After 6 years, observations showed no signs of fading.[3]: 1 

X-Ray

The Chandra X-Ray Observatory detected an X-ray flare from HOPS 383 in December of 2017.[4] This was the first detection of X-rays from a Class 0 protostar that will evolve into a sun-like star.[4] The flare lasted 3 hours and 20 minutes.[5] It significantly impacted the previously-thought timeline for when such events occur in the evolution of a protostar. Furthermore, it has improved astronomers' understanding of the Sun's earlier evolutionary stages.

References

  1. ^ a b "NASA satellites catch 'growth spurt' from newborn protostar". Science Daily. 24 March 2015.
  2. ^ McKinney, Donna (2015-02-25). "NRL Astrophysicist Explores Star Formation in Orion's Belt". United States Naval Research Laboratory. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  3. ^ a b Safron, Emily J.; Fischer, William J.; Megeath, S. Thomas; Furlan, Elise; Stutz, Amelia M.; Stanke, Thomas; Billot, Nicolas; Rebull, Luisa M.; Tobin, John J.; Ali, Babar; Allen, Lori E.; Booker, Joseph; Watson, Dan M.; Wilson, T. L. (2015-02-10). "Hops 383: An Outbursting Class 0 Protostar in Orion". The Astrophysical Journal Letters. 800 (1): L5. Bibcode:2015ApJ...800L...5S. doi:10.1088/2041-8205/800/1/L5. hdl:1887/48742. ISSN 2041-8205. OSTI 22364255. S2CID 45127705.
  4. ^ a b "Chandra :: Photo Album :: HOPS 383 :: June 18, 2020". chandra.harvard.edu. Retrieved 2021-12-29.
  5. ^ "Chandra Press Room :: X-rays From a Newborn Star Hint at Our Sun's Earliest Days :: 18 June 2020". chandra.harvard.edu. Retrieved 2021-12-30.
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