Space ‘fireworks’ highlight the violent birth of a star cluster in ALMA, Hubble image – Firstpost

FP TrendingJul 04, 2020 15:21:46 IST

Celestial fireworks in a star clustercalled G286.21+0.17 have now been observed by astronomers.

TheAtacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) radio telescope in Chile joined hands with the Hubble Space Telescope to create a mosaic of the star cluster,whichappearedlike 'cosmic fireworks' highlighting purple streamers and sizzling stars, as per a public release of the image.

Most stars in the universe, the Sun included, were born in huge star clusters, according to a Science Daily report. While the clusters are the building blocks of galaxies, their formation still remains shrouded in mystery.

Image of star cluster G286.21+0.17, caught in the act of formation. [Click image to see animated gif of stellar formation] Image credit: ALMA/Y Cheng etc al/Hubble/NRAO/AUI/NSF

The cluster itself is located in the Carina region of our galaxy, about 8000 light-years away.

A statement released by the National Radio Astronomy Observatoryexplained that ALMA was able to capture "dense clouds made of molecular gas" (the purple fireworks streamers), while stars in the image arevisible ininfrared light, as seen by the Hubble Telescope.

"This image shows stars in various stages of formation within this single cluster,"Yu Cheng, lead author of the study, from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, saidin the statement.

Cheng went on to add that the process may take at least a million years to complete.

Co-author Jonathan Tan of Chalmers University in Sweden and the University of Virginiasaid that the image highlights how dynamic and chaotic the process of the birth of a star really is.

"We see competing forces in action: gravity and turbulence from the cloud on one side, and stellar winds and radiation pressure from the young stars on the other,"Tansaid.

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Space 'fireworks' highlight the violent birth of a star cluster in ALMA, Hubble image - Firstpost

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