The Bipolar Jets of Young Variable Star KX Andromedae

The Bipolar Jets of Young Variable Star KX Andromedae

Blasting outward from variable star KX Andromedae, these huge bipolar jets are 19 light-years long. Recently discovered, they are revealed in unprecedented detail in this deep telescopic image centered on KX And and composed from over 692 hours of combined image data. In fact, KX And is spectroscopically found to be an interacting binary star system consisting of a bright, hot B-type star with a swollen cool giant star as its co-orbiting, close companion. The stellar material from the cool giant star is likely being transferred to the hot B-type star through an accretion disk with symmetric jets driven outward perpendicular to the disk itself. The known distance to KX And of 2,500 light-years, angular size of the jets, and estimated inclination of the accretion disk led to the size estimate for each jet to be 19 light-years.

Image Credit & Copyright: Tim Schaeffer and the Deep Sky Collective

Tim Schaeffer's website: 

https://deepskycollective.com/kxand/steeve

Deep Sky Collective website: 

https://deepskycollective.com/gallery
Release Date: Dec. 5, 2025

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