4 February 2011 Zeta Oph: Runaway Star
Zeta Ophiuchi is a runaway star moving about 24 km/s through interstellar space, that probably resulted from its binary partner exploding as a supernova. Its life span will be about 8 million years, and I was surprised to find that it would be one of the brightest stars in the sky if it wasn't surrounded by interstellar dust. Zeta Oph actually "pushes" the dust out of its way on its headlong journey through the cosmos, causing the infrared arc shape.
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