Y Tauri -- Carbon Star in Taurus
Red Carbon
The Carbon Star, Y Tauri, was the last object of the night on my observing list. It is always
best to end the night on an easy to find object. Carbon Stars meet this criterial well. No color
is as concentrated in visual astronomy as found in the red of Carbon stars, not other colored
stars, nebulae, Mars or even Auroras are that intense.
Carbon Stars are unique in that their atmospheres contain more carbon than oxygen – not so
in other stars. The carbon combines with the oxygen, forming carbon monoxide, which
consumes all the available oxygen in the star’s upper atmosphere. The leftover carbon atoms
bond with other elements causing the star to shine ruby-red in color. No stars are darker-red
than Carbon Stars.
Embedded in the winter Milky Way with a significant number of stars displaying in the
eyepiece, just amplified the red color of Y Tauri. It was a perfect way to end the night.
best to end the night on an easy to find object. Carbon Stars meet this criterial well. No color
is as concentrated in visual astronomy as found in the red of Carbon stars, not other colored
stars, nebulae, Mars or even Auroras are that intense.
Carbon Stars are unique in that their atmospheres contain more carbon than oxygen – not so
in other stars. The carbon combines with the oxygen, forming carbon monoxide, which
consumes all the available oxygen in the star’s upper atmosphere. The leftover carbon atoms
bond with other elements causing the star to shine ruby-red in color. No stars are darker-red
than Carbon Stars.
Embedded in the winter Milky Way with a significant number of stars displaying in the
eyepiece, just amplified the red color of Y Tauri. It was a perfect way to end the night.