June 8, 2001

1 min read

Google Logo Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAm

Smoldering X-Ray Gas Surrounds Infant Stars Near Galactic Core

By Kate Wong

Join Our Community of Science Lovers!

Image: NASA

The region that houses the highest density of young stars in our Galaxy, the Arches cluster (see inset), is surrounded by a scorching cloud of 60-million-degree gas, researchers say. A mere 25,000 light years from Earth, the Arches cluster is a well-studied region. But this is the first time astronomers have seen a young star cluster enveloped in such high-energy X-ray emissions.

Astronomers have long recognized that large, young stars can themselves emit X-rays. But the new findings, presented earlier this week at the American Astronomical Society's meeting in Pasadena, Calif., indicate that the X-rays can also arise from collisions between the winds from these stars. Furthermore, these X-rays appear to be as energetic as those observed in starburst galaxies. "The Arches cluster is one of the best ¿local¿ analogues of starburst galaxies¿the most prodigious stellar nurseries known,¿ Casey Law of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics notes.¿As such, researchers may be able to learn a lot more about starburst galaxies just by poking around in our own galactic backyard.

On supporting science journalism

If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.

The results may also throw light on another mysterious phenomenon. "Our data suggest that the gas within the Arches cluster may get so hot that it escapes from the cluster,¿ Cornelia Lang of the University of Massachusetts remarks. ¿The Arches and other clusters like it may contribute to the reservoir of mysterious hot gas long observed near the Milky Way.¿

Kate Wong is an award-winning science writer and senior editor for features at Scientific American, where she has focused on evolution, ecology, anthropology, archaeology, paleontology and animal behavior. She is fascinated by human origins, which she has covered for nearly 30 years. Recently she has become obsessed with birds. Her reporting has taken her to caves in France and Croatia that Neandertals once called home to the shores of Kenya’s Lake Turkana in search of the oldest stone tools in the world, as well as to Madagascar on an expedition to unearth ancient mammals and dinosaurs, the icy waters of Antarctica, where humpback whales feast on krill, and a “Big Day” race around the state of Connecticut to find as many bird species as possible in 24 hours. Wong is co-author, with Donald Johanson, of Lucy’s Legacy: The Quest for Human Origins. She holds a bachelor of science degree in biological anthropology and zoology from the University of Michigan. Follow her on Bluesky @katewong.bsky.social

More by Kate Wong

It’s Time to Stand Up for Science

If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.

I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.

If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.

In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can't-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world's best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.

There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.

Thank you,

David M. Ewalt, Editor in Chief, Scientific American

Subscribe