The cradle of the solar system

ESO recently published a series of central shots of a cosmic cloud called RCW 38, along with the newly created stars and planetary systems.

There, young stars constantly attack, collide with planets and the sun by extremely high wind speeds and dazzling light, plus the phenomenon of large stars with short lifespans exploding (often supernova - supernova). In some cases, this type of intense attack transformed material and eventually formed new solar systems. Scientists believe that our solar system itself is formed from such an environment.

The dense star cluster RCW 38 is sparkling in the light of 5,500 light-years from the Vela constellation. Like Orion, RCW 38 is an 'embedded' star cluster, in which dust and gas clouds still surround the stars. Astronomers have determined that most stars, including low-mass red stars occupying the majority of the universe, originate in these material-rich regions. Accordingly, the embedded star cluster provides scientists with a living laboratory to explore the mechanism of star and planet formation.

By observing star clusters like RCW 38, we can learn many things about the origin of the Solar System that contain Earth and other solar systems, 'said Kim DeRose, the lead researcher.

The dense star cluster RCW 38 is sparkling in the light of 5,500 light-years from the Vela constellation. RCW is an 'embedded' star cluster in which the dust and gas cloud still envelops the stars. (Photo: © ESO)

With the use of NACO optical equipment on ESO's Very Large Telescope telescope, astronomers have obtained the clearest image ever of RCW 38. They focus on a small area in the center. Star cluster around the big star IRS2.These impressive observations reveal that IRS2 is actually not one, but two stars, a binary star system consisting of two twin hot stars, spaced about 500 times the distance between the Sun and the Left. land.

In the NACO image, astronomers found many stars forming and dozens of stars about to form regardless of the ultraviolet light emitted by IRS2. However, some of these stars may not pass the formation phase. The powerful radiation emitted by IRS2 alters the position and dynamics of materials that would otherwise form a star or the protoplanetary disc surrounding a growing star. Over a period of several million years, this disk can form planets, moons and comets that form the planetary system, just like our Solar System.

It seems that ultraviolet rays are not enough, RCW 38 also regularly sees supernova explosions when giant stars explode at the end of their life. These explosions knock material into the surrounding space, including rare isotopes - strange forms of chemical elements created in the dying star. These materials in turn form the next generation of stars in the region. These isotopes are also detected in our Sun, so scientists have concluded that the Sun formed in a dust cloud like RCW 38, not in part of the Milky Way. .

Dieter Nürberger, co-author of the study, said : 'In general, the details of astronomical objects that NACO has revealed are important to understand how stars and planets form in a complex cluster. messy and messy like RCW38. '