Telescopic insight into how stars are born
Source: AFP |
July 11, 2013, Thursday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
ASTRONOMERS yesterday reported their best observation yet of a massive star embryo growing within a dark cloud - the largest stellar "womb" in our Milky Way galaxy.
The star, which could grow to 100 times the mass of our sun and up to a million times brighter, was spotted by the most powerful radio telescope on Earth - the ALMA international astronomy facility located in Chile, according to a paper published in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics.
Astronomers hope its discovery, at a distance of some 11,000 light years from Earth, will shed light on how these exceptionally massive stars are formed, shrouded as they are in dust and mystery.
"Not only are these stars rare, but their births are extremely rapid and childhood short, so finding such a massive object so early in its evolution in our galaxy is a spectacular result," study co-author Gary Fuller of Manchester University said.
The most massive and brightest stars in the galaxy form within cool and dark cloud cores, feeding on material dragged inwards by the embryo star's gravity.
This specific star is located in the Spitzer Dark Cloud, whose core has a mass about 500 times that of the sun.
Study lead author Nicolas Peretto of Cardiff University said: "The remarkable observations from ALMA allowed us to get the first really in-depth look at what was going on within this cloud. We wanted to see how monster stars form and grow, and we certainly achieved our aim. One of the sources we have found is an absolute giant."
The star, which could grow to 100 times the mass of our sun and up to a million times brighter, was spotted by the most powerful radio telescope on Earth - the ALMA international astronomy facility located in Chile, according to a paper published in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics.
Astronomers hope its discovery, at a distance of some 11,000 light years from Earth, will shed light on how these exceptionally massive stars are formed, shrouded as they are in dust and mystery.
"Not only are these stars rare, but their births are extremely rapid and childhood short, so finding such a massive object so early in its evolution in our galaxy is a spectacular result," study co-author Gary Fuller of Manchester University said.
The most massive and brightest stars in the galaxy form within cool and dark cloud cores, feeding on material dragged inwards by the embryo star's gravity.
This specific star is located in the Spitzer Dark Cloud, whose core has a mass about 500 times that of the sun.
Study lead author Nicolas Peretto of Cardiff University said: "The remarkable observations from ALMA allowed us to get the first really in-depth look at what was going on within this cloud. We wanted to see how monster stars form and grow, and we certainly achieved our aim. One of the sources we have found is an absolute giant."
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