Gomez's Hamburger, also known as IRAS 18059-3211, is believed to be a young star surrounded by a protoplanetary disk.[4] It was initially identified as a planetary nebula, and its distance was estimated to be approximately 6500 light-years away from Earth.[6] However, recent results suggest that this object is a young star surrounded by a protoplanetary disk, at a distance of about 900 light-years away.[4][7]
IRAS 18059-3211 as seen by Hubble | |
Observation data Epoch J2000 Equinox J2000 | |
---|---|
Constellation | Sagittarius |
Right ascension | 18h 09m 13.40s[1] |
Declination | −32° 10′ 50.0″[1] |
Apparent magnitude (V) | 14.4 |
Characteristics | |
Spectral type | A0III:[2] |
Astrometry | |
Distance | 250±50[3] pc |
Details | |
Mass | 2.5±0.5[3] M☉ |
Luminosity | ~15[4] L☉ |
Temperature | ~10,000[5] K |
Other designations | |
IRAS 18059-3211 | |
Database references | |
SIMBAD | data |
It was discovered in 1985 on sky photographs obtained by Arturo Gómez, support technical staff at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory near Vicuña, Chile.[8] The photos suggested that there was a dark band across the object, but its exact structure was difficult to determine because of the atmospheric turbulence that hampers all images taken from the ground. The star itself has a surface temperature of approximately 10,000 K.
The "buns" are light reflecting off dust. A disk of dust seen nearly exactly edge-on obscures the star and produces the dark band in the middle, the "burger".[4] It has a dim visual magnitude of 14.4.
An emission at the southern part of the disk seen in carbon monoxide imaging, as well as in mid-infrared imaging, was interpreted as a protoplanet candidate. This candidate would have a mass of 0.8-11.4 MJ.[9] Protoplanetary disk can however form disk fragments that are gravitationally bound and can mimic protoplanets. In the case of GoHam b it is not clear if it is a protoplanet or just a disk fragment.[10]