Becklin–Neugebauer Object
The Becklin–Neugebauer Object (BN) is an object visible only in the infrared in the Orion molecular cloud 1 (OMC1). It was discovered in 1967 by Eric Becklin and Gerry Neugebauer during their near-infrared survey of the Orion Nebula. A faint glow around the center-most stars can be observed in the visible light spectrum, especially with the aid of a telescope.
This image shows the explosion in Orion that likely ejected the stars Becklin–Neugebauer Object, source I and source n. | |
| Observation data Epoch J2000.0 Equinox J2000.0 | |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Orion |
| Right ascension | 05h 35m 14.113s |
| Declination | −05° 22′ 22.73″ |
| Characteristics | |
| Spectral type | B |
| Astrometry | |
| Distance | ~1500 ly |
| Details | |
| Mass | 7 M☉ |
| Other designations | |
| Database references | |
| SIMBAD | data |
The BN Object is thought to be an intermediate-mass protostar. It was the first star detected using infrared methods and is deeply embedded within the Orion star-forming nebula, where it is invisible at optical wavelengths because the light is completely scattered or absorbed due to the high density of dusty material.
Near-infrared polarized light observations showed that the star BN is still surrounded by a circumstellar disk.