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A lecturer from Galway is a member of a global group of astronomers who have revealed new insights into the intricate process of creating planets.
Dr Christian Ginski, lecturer at the University of Galway, helped capture images of more than 80 young stars and discs of dust and gas where planets are forming.
Scientists utilized Chile’s European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (ESO’s VLT) to acquire the photographs.
The information was released on Tuesday through three publications in Astronomy & Astrophysics.
This study is one of the biggest surveys to date on the formation of planetary disks. Astronomers can utilize the extensive data and images to gain more knowledge and understanding of how planets are formed in various parts of our Milky Way galaxy.
Dr Ginski, the main author of one of three recent papers, stated, “There has been a significant change in our research realm. We have transitioned from extensively examining single star systems to conducting a broad examination of entire star-forming regions.”
It has been discovered that the variety of planets in existence is vast, and now we also have evidence of a diverse range of planetary nurseries.
“We use our images to bridge the gap between these two and gain insight into the formation of various types of planets. This knowledge will ultimately reveal the frequency of systems like our own solar system, which can potentially support life.”
The scientists observed 86 stars in three distinct regions where stars are formed in our galaxy, the Milky Way. These regions include Taurus and Chamaeleon I, which are roughly 600 light years away from Earth, and Orion, a cloud of gas located 1,300 light years from Earth that is known for producing giant stars.
This set of new pictures displays the variety of discs where planets are forming in only three small areas of the galaxy.
According to Dr. Ginski, the images obtained can be referred to as “planetary nurseries” – massive disks of gas and dust enclosing young stars. These celestial phenomena are relatively close by, only 600-1,300 light years away, within our own galactic neighborhood.
The Milky Way, our own galaxy, is about 80 times larger. Certain discs in it have large spiral arms, possibly caused by the complex movements of orbiting planets.
The data was collected by a group of scientists from over 10 different countries.
We are examining the origins of these new planetary birth sites in order to comprehend the abundance of diverse planetary systems that we have discovered revolving around distant stars.
Over 5,000 planets have been found orbiting stars besides the Sun, often in systems that differ greatly from our own Solar System.
In order to comprehend the origin and nature of this variety, astronomers need to examine the discs surrounding young stars that are rich in dust and gas.
The most ideal location for these objects is within extensive clouds of gas where stars are currently being created.
Dr. Ginski stated that the team is focusing on young planetary systems to gain insight into the abundance of diverse and divergent systems that have been discovered around distant stars. These systems are in stark contrast to our own solar system.
To determine the solution, we refer to the initial stage of planetary formation.
The team of international researchers extracted valuable knowledge from the visual data and data set.
Researchers in Orion observed that stars with companions in pairs or more had a lower probability of possessing sizable discs capable of forming planets. This finding has great significance as the majority of stars in our galaxy are accompanied by other stars, in contrast to our Sun.
Although planet-forming discs can span up to hundreds of times the distance from Earth to the Sun, they appear as minuscule dots in the night sky due to their location hundreds of light-years away.
The team used the advanced Sphere instrument mounted on ESO’s VLT to study the discs.
Sphere’s state-of-the-art extreme adaptive optics system corrects for the turbulent effects of Earth’s atmosphere, yielding crisp images of the discs.
The team could now capture images of disks orbiting stars with masses that are only half the mass of the Sun, a task that is typically beyond the capabilities of other current instruments due to their faintness.
The VLT’s X-shooter instrument was utilized to gather extra survey data, providing information on the age and mass of the stars.
Source: independent.co.uk
