New Astronomy Finding Uncovers the Mystery of Star Formation at the Edge of Galaxies
AuthorAdministratorREG_DATE2024.01.09Hits214
International research team led by SBU’s Jin Koda to present “molecular cloud” research at national meeting
The mystery of star formation in galaxies continues to intrigue astronomers worldwide. Yet, a key question remains just how and why and where do stars form in the Universe? A new discovery from an international team of astronomers provides a significant clue to star formation.
Led by Jin Koda, a professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, the research team used the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and investigated the far edge of the spiral galaxy M83, at a distance of 15 million light years from Earth. They uncovered 23 concentrations of dense molecular gas called “molecular clouds,” which are evidence of the birthing region of stars.