ALMA Images Display The Explosive Nature Of Star Birth

First Posted: Apr 08, 2017 03:40 AM EDT
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Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) captured images of the explosive nature of star birth, which blasted its stellar nursery apart about 500 years ago. The scientists have investigated the debris from this phenomenon that could lead to understanding and information about relationships and interaction among sibling stars.

The description of the explosive event was published in the Astrophysical Journal. The stunning explosion occurred around 500 years ago in the constellation Orion. This sent massive dust of gas around the space and generated energy as the Sun, according to BBC News.

Once the giant cloud of gas starts to collapse with its own gravity, the stars are formed and born. The Orion Molecular Cloud-4 (OMC-4) is a region in which several very young stars started to form at about 1,500 light-years away from the planet Earth. The proto-stars were pulled at a higher rate due to gravity 500 years ago. Then, the two of these stars collided, causing a powerful explosion that sent dust and gas remains into space at over 150 km per second. The astronomers now could see this powerful explosion in high resolution using the ALMA, which is based in northern Chile.

The remnants of the explosion could still be seen from the planet Earth. John Bally, the lead author of the study, said that what they view in this once calm stellar nursery can be compared to a version of a 4th of July fireworks display. He further said that massive streamers blasted off in various directions.

He added that protostellar explosions may be relatively common. These explosions such as the one they perceived in OMC-1 could also help regulate the pace of star formation in the massive molecular clouds, according to Bally.

Phys.org pointed out that stellar explosions are associated with nova eruption or the supernova, which is the end of the dying star. On the other hand, with these images of the ALMA, they provide insights of star birth or formation of stars. 

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