The surface brightness of reflection nebulae : NGC 1432 and the 17 Tauri nebulosity.
Abstract
New photoelectric surface brightness measurements of the reflection nebulae near 20 Tau and 17 Tau are reported for intermediate width bandpasses centered near 3500, 4100, 4700, and 5500 A. The derived surface brightness distributions have been used to set limits on the density and the spatial extent of the dust clouds near these stars. NGC 1432 (20 Tau) can be represented successfully by either an inclined plane-parallel dust slab with the star in front or by an extended, optically thin spherical shell surrounding 20 Tau. The 17 Tau nebulosity is most easily modelled by an extended spherical cloud of low uniform density. A comparison of the absolute surface brightness of four reflection nebulae, NGC 7023, NGC 1435, NGC 1432, and the 17 Tau nebulosity, shows the latter two to be relatively inefficient producers of scattered light.
- Publication:
-
The Astronomical Journal
- Pub Date:
- March 1983
- DOI:
- 10.1086/113326
- Bibcode:
- 1983AJ.....88..418C
- Keywords:
-
- Brightness Distribution;
- Reflection Nebulae;
- Stellar Luminosity;
- Ultraviolet Astronomy;
- Cosmic Dust;
- Electrophotometry;
- Light Scattering;
- Optical Reflection;
- Stellar Models;
- Astrophysics