Zeta Ophiuchi

Zeta Ophiuchi is a hot, massive O-type star in Ophiuchus, moving rapidly through space after being ejected from a binary system.

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Runaway star: A star moving through space unusually fast relative to nearby stars. Zeta Ophiuchi is a prominent example of a massive runaway star.
Stellar classification: The classification of stars by properties such as spectral features, temperature, and luminosity. It places Zeta Ophiuchi in the hot O spectral class.
Upper Scorpius: A nearby association of young stars in the Scorpius–Centaurus OB association. The star's past trajectory has been linked to this young stellar association.
Infrared astronomy: The study of celestial radiation at wavelengths longer than visible light and shorter than microwaves. Infrared images reveal dust heated and shaped by the star's bow shock.
Binary supernova scenario: A model in which a supernova disrupts a binary system and ejects its surviving companion. The explosion of its former companion is thought to have launched Zeta Ophiuchi.
Stellar mass: The quantity of matter contained in a star, governing much of its evolution and lifetime. Its high mass drives its luminosity, wind, and short-lived evolution.
Scorpius–Centaurus association: The nearest major OB association, containing young massive stars in the constellations Scorpius and Centaurus. It provides the broader stellar population from which Zeta Ophiuchi may have originated.
H II region: A region of ionized hydrogen surrounding hot stars that emit substantial ultraviolet radiation. Its ultraviolet photons ionize gas around the star and illuminate its environment.
Bow shock: A curved shock front formed when an object moves through a surrounding medium faster than disturbances can travel through it. Its stellar wind compresses interstellar gas ahead of the fast-moving star.
Effective temperature: The temperature of a star's idealized surface that produces the same total emitted energy per area. Zeta Ophiuchi's high effective temperature makes it a strong ultraviolet source.