FollowHave you ever imagined where the stars have born? A study says the stars are born in the womb of giant clouds of gas. The astronomers have started mapping these location of the most massive and mysterious objects in the Milky Way galaxy.
Scientists at the Coonabarabran in Australia have detected such humongous clouds with the help of 22 inches long Mopra Telescope. The University of New South Wales led team identified the galactic clouds of molecular gas – which can be up to 100 light years across – from the carbon monoxide they contain.
According to the scientists, carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas on Earth but this silent killer is the second most abundant molecule and the easiest to see gas in the space.
The researchers said that one of the largest unresolved mysteries in galactic astronomy is how these giant, diffuse clouds form in the interstellar medium and its role in the cosmic cycle of birth and death of stars.
The scientists believe huge gas clouds are formed by the collective gravitational draw of several smaller clouds. The international team of researchers is also searching for “dark” galactic gas clouds – unseen clouds that contain very little carbon monoxide. Scientists say these clouds are mostly made up of molecular hydrogen which is too cold to detect. The team is using telescopes in Antarctica and Chile to search these dark clouds.
The study has been published in the journal Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia.
