The Triffid Nebula:
A Steady Astrophysical Jet
Jets or beams of gas are a common phenomena in astrophysics.  Astronomers see high speed jets being beamed out many environments including stars that are just forming as well as the heart of giant galaxies.  The Hubbles Space Telescope image you see here is of the Triffid Nebula a region of of space where many stars are forming out of a giant interstellar cloud of gas and dust. The thin ribbon of glowing gas in the upper left is a jet of gas traveling more than 300 miles per second. The star which formed this jet is still buried deep in the billowing cloud.  The size scale of the jet is about one tenth of a light-year.  That is the same as shooting a beam of water out of your garden hose and having it hit the moon! Notice that this jet appears to be steady, meaning that we see one continuous beam.  In other images astronomers see the jets that appear to be pulsed, meaning the jet looks like it was turned on and off at the source. There are other examples of steady jets.  Some of the jets come from young stars and others come from regions around black holes! Click on the images below to see some more.