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[110.04] Imaging of the Young, Compact Planetary Nebula IRAS 17347--3139 and the binary AFGL 4106

M. Bobrowsky (Challenger Center for Space Science Education), B. Greeley (Orbital Sciences Corp.), M. Meixner (U. Illinois)

IRAS 17347--3139 was first identified as an IRAS source having infrared colors similar to those of planetary nebulae. Its infrared luminosity (5 \times 10⁴ L_\odot) and its low stellar temperature (1.5 \times 10⁴ K) implies the presence of an object such as a proto-planetary nebula or a young planetary nebula. OH maser emission previously detected from this object at 1612 MHz showed two velocity components, possibly indicative of bipolar outflows. Radio imaging at 5 GHz indicated a diameter of 1.^\prime\prime9, and a comparable size was seen in mid-infrared images (Meixner et al.\ 1999). Here we present an HST NICMOS image of IRAS 17437-3139 at 2.2\mu. It appears as an elliptical nebula with approximate dimensions 2^\prime\prime x 4^\prime\prime. The major axis is oriented approximately 40^\circ west of north. The central star is not visible.

AFGL 4106 had been determined by Molster et al.\ (1999) to be a binary based on spectroscopic data. Here we present an HST NICMOS image at 1.6\mu that actually shows the two stars. They are separated by 0.^\prime\prime26.

This work is based on observations made with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope and obtained at the Space Telescope Science Institute which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under contract NAS5-26555. Support for this work was provided by NASA through grant number GO-07898.01-96A from the Space Telescope Science Institute.