Wednesday, May 19, 2021

Inbox Astronomy: Webb to Study How Massive Stars' Blasts of Radiation Influence Their Environments

INBOX ASTRONOMY

Webb to Study How Massive Stars' Blasts of Radiation Influence Their Environments

Release date: Wednesday, May 19, 2021 10:00:00 AM EDT

Webb to Study How Massive Stars' Blasts of Radiation Influence Their Environments



The nearby Orion Bar is a typical example of a region influenced by young, massive stars

Spectacular supernova explosions have been known to shape the structure of galaxies for a long time. But recently, scientists have discovered that massive stars influence their environments throughout their lifetimes — not only when they go supernova. In the Orion Nebula — a nearby stellar nursery — young, massive stars are flooding their birth clouds with ultraviolet radiation.  

One such region within the nebula where this is happening is the Orion Bar, a ridge-like feature of gas and dust that is being sculpted by the intense radiation from neighboring hot, young stars. In reality, the Orion Bar is not really a "bar" at all. Instead, it contains a lot of structure and several distinct zones. For the first time, Webb will be able to separate and study these different zones' physical conditions.



Find additional articles, images, and videos at WebbTelescope.org



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