Astronomers Map the Icy Wastes of Space Where Stars Form

Astronomers have accomplished a startling feat by using the AKARI orbiting observatory. They've created the first large-scale maps of ice material where stars are forming, challenging the conventional ideas about how water forms in space.

AKARI was first launched in 2006 and surveyed about 90 percent of the sky at infrared wavelengths until it finally ended its mission in 2011. In this case, the researchers used data from AKARI in order to create maps of the icy material in 28 star-forming regions. These areas covered in the survey are very cold-about -263 degrees Celsius. Under these conditions, atoms and molecules of gas collide with the dust found in these regions and form layers of "frost" on the dust surfaces. These nano-scale icy dust grains are actually the beginnings of star formation.

What is most interesting is that the researchers discovered that in contrast to the prevailing model, ice can be found in regions without much dust or gas. If ice can form in these zones, it can quickly absorb nearby gases and change local conditions.

"Until this research we never previously had a view of the cold solid-state universe, the icy freezers from which starts and planets ultimately form," said Helen Fraser, one of the researchers, in a news release. "Given that the results in our own local galaxy are so surprising, the question remains what other galaxies look like when we map their ice features."

The findings reveal a bit more about the cold, star-forming regions of space. This could actually help scientists learn how galaxies grow and evolve.

"The coming decade could be astounding," said Fraser. "We could be able to apply the same technique to nearby galaxies and see if the nano-fabrication factories that make organic matter work in the same way across the different epochs of the history of the cosmos."

The findings were presented at the National Astronomy Meeting in Portsmouth.