Zeta Ophiuchi

Zeta Ophiuchi is the bright blue star in the center. On the left, in red, is its bow shock.

Zeta Ophiuchi is the closest O-type star to the Sun at nearly 400 light years away. It is over 8 times wider than the Sun and appears to be travelling fast through space. This could be because it was blasted by a supernova explosion. The fast motion of Zeta Ophiuchi created a bow shock, or shaped gas, around it as it travels through space.

Zeta Ophiuchi Media

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  A light curve for Zeta Ophiuchi, adapted from Howarth et al. (2014)