The famous young variable stellar object T Tauri, prototype to the class of pre-main-sequence objects which bears its name. T Tauri is actually a 0´´.6-separation binary star, unresolved in this image. (The objects very near the star just east of north and just west of south are filter glint artifacts, not infrared companions of T Tau.) The nebula to the west (NGC 1555) is reflected light from T Tauri.
The images in this gallery are released into the public domain. If any image or images are redisplayed or reproduced, please accompany the image or images with the following acknowledgment: "Atlas Image [or Atlas Image mosaic] obtained as part of the Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS), a joint project of the University of Massachusetts and the Infrared Processing and Analysis Center/California Institute of Technology, funded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the National Science Foundation." If pressed for space, this acknowledgment could be shortened to, e.g., "Atlas Image [or Atlas Image mosaic] courtesy of 2MASS/UMass/IPAC-Caltech/NASA/NSF." However, all or part of the full acknowledgment is preferred. This is the stated policy of 2MASS.
Atlas Image [or Atlas Image mosaic] obtained as part of the Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS), a joint project of the University of Massachusetts and the Infrared Processing and Analysis Center/California Institute of Technology, funded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the National Science Foundation.
Atlas Image [or Atlas Image mosaic] courtesy of 2MASS/UMass/IPAC-Caltech/NASA/NSF.
Original caption: The famous young variable stellar object '''T Tauri''', prototype to the class of pre-main-sequence objects which bears its name. T Tauri is actually a 0´´.6-separation binary star, unresolved in this image. (The objects very near the