ALMA Reveals the Cradles of Dense Cores: the Birthplace of Massive Stars

A Taiwanese research team used the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) to observe a large molecular gas clump named G33.92+0.11, where a cluster with massive stars is forming. The excellent imaging power of ALMA allowed to reveal with unprecedented detail the fine structure of the molecular gas at the center of the region, where two surprisingly large molecular gas arms, with sizes of about 3.2 light years, appear to be spiraling around two massive molecular cores. The two centrally located massive molecular cores (about 100-300 solar masses) are connected by several spiraling dense molecular gas arms.  

The images show the central part of the OB cluster-forming region G33.92+0.11, observed by ALMA. Top: Dust continuum image taken at 1.3 mm. Bottom: False color image showing the integrated emission of three molecules. ALMA(ESO/NAOJ/NRAO), H. B. Liu, J. Dale

Star birth in the nests and filaments of Vela-C

ESA's Herschel Space Observatory has imaged the Vela-C molecular cloud, revealing the cloud's reservoir of gas and dust in unprecedented detail. Vela-C is a rich stellar nursery where stars of low, intermediate and high mass are forming. The image shows how the raw material from which stars form is organised in tangled nests as well as dense, ridge-like filaments, and suggests that the two environments may be responsible for producing different populations of stars.

This image shows Vela-C, a giant molecular cloud where stars are being born, as viewed at far-infrared wavelengths with ESA's Herschel Space Observatory. Vela-C is the most massive component of the Vela Molecular Ridge, a vast star-forming complex in the plane of our Galaxy, the Milky Way.