How A Star Is Born

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/b8ece9d737c6.jpg[/atsimg]

This is a cool article which talks a little bit about a newly discovered nebula that creates stars 250 times faster than the Milky Way. Includes some interesting content for the amateur on how starts are created.

How are stars "born" in the first place? For stars like our sun, life begins in a molecular cloud (the Orion Nebula at the top of this post is a prime example), which are typically located in the "arms" of spiral galaxies. These molecular clouds contain the building blocks of stars, mostly molecular hydrogen as well as (although far less abundant) carbon dioxide and water. As these clouds are bombarded by interstellar radiation from nearby stars (so called galactic winds, small turbulent eddies of gas and dust begin to form, eventually coalescing into enough mass to begin collapsing under its own gravity.

Apparently, this is how stars are created nowadays which is different than in the early days of the universe. This newly discovered "nebula," though creates stars way faster than thought typical and scientists believe this could give insight into conditions at the early stages of the universe, or it could be just an interesting period this particular set of "star factories" are going through.

I wonder why nebula exist. Why are certain areas concentrated with energy and star-building supplies? I mean I read Wikipedia and all, but it's just weird.

Article source: io9
Orion Nebula picture source: aroundhere
Link to the scientific paper (but you gotta pay up): Nature

reply to post by Hadrian


We may never really know why the universe is how we see it, but all of us are doing the best we can! I suggest you read more about stars and space exploration. Mostly because you haven't got to the weird stuff yet!

Originally posted by Gentill Abdulla
reply to post by Hadrian

 

We may never really know why the universe is how we see it, but all of us are doing the best we can! I suggest you read more about stars and space exploration. Mostly because you haven't got to the weird stuff yet!

Been doing it my whole life and I'm 40, sport. Working on it.

reply to post by Hadrian


The weirdest thing I have ever read about was a black hole. I thought it was a joke after I heard of it first! Just imagine the immense power these monsters have!

reply to post by Hadrian


Agreed, space is weird. I wonder if (maybe I read it somewhere) there are different forces acting on the areas of rapid star birth,nebulas. Hard to wrap your brain around. Imagine stars almost as big as the orbit of our puny solar system, magnatars, pulsars that spin twice a second. My brain hurts! Oddly enough when I lay awake at night because of the usual stress of life, I ponder these thoughts and boom, I'm out. Somehow soothing to the soul. Anyway great post.

reply to post by JMech


yeah, the size thing is wild. here's one of those "comparisons of sizes within the universe videos." been posted a million times, but it blows my mind every time. of particular note is that some nebulae are in it and they are so huge, it makes me think the earth would be the size of, like an electron, relatively speaking, compared to them ... and they are only at the midpoint of the size spectrum!

reply to post by Hadrian

Magnificent video, but I thought that this one did a better job at portraying the vastness of space.

Also, a very fine flash application going from the smallest particles to the whole visible universe can be found here.


[edit on 31/3/10 by XQbit]

[edit on 31/3/10 by XQbit]

reply to post by XQbit


those were just awesome. thanks for posting.

the flash link is cool because you can play with it and take the time to read about the objects and their dimensions. just blows the mind.