Where Stars Are Born

NASA’s Spitzer Science Center: “Ask An Astronomer (Part 2) Where Stars Are Born – W-5 Star-Forming Region”. In this popular video series, real astronomers answer common questions about astronomy. Brought to you by the “Cool Cosmos” team (the joint Education and Public Outreach group for the Spitzer Space Telescope and the Infrared Processing and Analysis Center) located at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, California. Narrated by Dr. Robert Hurt of NASA’s Spitzer Science Center. — Please subscribe to Science & Reason: • www.youtube.com • www.youtube.com • www.youtube.com — How do stars form? A study of star forming region W5 by the sun-orbiting Spitzer Space Telescope provides clear clues by recording that massive stars near the center of empty cavities are older than stars near the edges. A likely reason for this is that the older stars in the center are actually triggering the formation of the younger edge stars. The triggered star formation occurs when hot outflowing gas compresses cooler gas into knots dense enough to gravitationally contract into stars. Spectacular pillars, left slowly evaporating from the hot outflowing gas, provide further visual clues. In the above scientifically-colored infrared image, red indicates heated dust, while white and green indicate particularly dense gas clouds. W5 is also known as IC 1848, and together with IC 1805 form a complex region of star formation popularly dubbed the Heart and Soul Nebulas. W5 lies about …