Look at the photo of the "boiling cauldron" where new stars are born

Scientists have captured the diverging bubble of a shock wave formed by a stellar wind in a cloud of gas, as well as

evaluate a number of physical parameters of the object under study - the Westerlund 2 star cluster.

Most of the data from which were obtaineddetailed images were collected using the flying infrared observatory SOFIA. Recall that the stratospheric infrared observatory SOFIA (from the English. Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy) is a joint project of Germany and the United States in the field of space research. The American agency NASA and the German Center for Aerospace Research are partners.

This observatory, created atbased on Boeing 747 and equipped with an infrared reflector telescope, made in 2010. Observations at an altitude of 12 to 14 kilometers make it possible to obtain results close to the level of space observatories. The flying laboratory is used, in particular, to study the birth and death of stars, the formation of stellar systems, galactic nebulae and black holes. About 160 research flights are carried out annually.

The scientists analyzed the nebula RCW 49.Astronomers paid  special attention to radio emission in the entire wavelength range , from faint radio emission to  high-energy gamma rays. 

A snapshot of the Westerlund 2 (Wd2) star cluster inseveral wavelength ranges (highlighted in colors) with massive young stars (asterisks) marked on it. On the right - individual clouds of gas are outlined, as well as a bursting "bubble" (white frequent dotted line) and an inner ring of dust (white rare dotted line) / © https: //doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/abf6ce

Using data from SOFIA, which observedBehind the Westerlund Cluster 2 (part of RCW 49), scientists have collected a very clear image in which the “stellar nursery” can be clearly seen. This is an area of ​​outer space with active star formation that can be compared to a “boiling cauldron.”

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