2.2- and 3.5-micron polarization measurements of the Becklin-Neugebauer object in the Orion Nebula.
Independent measurements of the Becklin-Neugebauer (BN) object in the Orion Nebula yield large values of linear polarization in wavelength bands centered at 2.2 and 3.4 microns. The 10 to 15% polarization at 2.2 microns of the BN object is larger than any yet measured for an extraterrestrial object. The large polarization probably originates from the scattering of the radiation by dust grains.