Posted on 12/09/2021 9:21:41 PM PST by BenLurkin
As part of the VLA nascent disk and multiplicity survey (VANDAM for short), the researchers mapped the radio waves leaking out of a dense cocoon of dust about 600 light-years away that contained a whole nursery of young stars.
The VANDAM survey allowed for a census of stars younger than half a million years old called Class 0 stars – mere babies in star terms – and stars a little older between 500,000 years and 1 million years, called Class 1.
Combined with data on the shapes of the surrounding cloud of dust, the scientists found 45 lonely stars, 19 binary star systems, and a further five that contained more than two stars.
While their results predicted all stars were born as binaries, they amended their conclusion to take into account limitations in their model by saying most stars formed inside the dense cores of dust clouds are born with a partner.
Looking closely at the distances between the stars, the researchers found all binaries separated by a gap of 500 AU or more were Class 0 and lined up with the axis of the egg-shaped cloud surrounding them.
Class 1 stars, on the other hand, tended to be closer together at around 200 AU and weren't aligned with their 'egg's' axis.
500 AU is roughly 0.008 light-years, or a bit under 3 light-days. To put it into perspective, Neptune is about 30 AU away, the Voyager 1 probe is currently just under 140 AU away, and the nearest known star Proxima Centauri is 268,770 AU away.
But there is an hypothesis that our Sun has a twin that likes to swing by every now and then, and stir things up.
(Excerpt) Read more at sciencealert.com ...
He’s not a trouble maker, he just needs direction.
“Trouble making twin”?
Whatever happened to scientific facts?
Our solar system is one spin kick away from lights out!
Today’s scientists were raised in public schools playing video games.
Nice finds, three astro-topics! You're on fire!
Nancy peelousy
They nicknamed a planetlike object with a very elliptical orbit “Biden?”
Brick top
If there was such a star, or, brown dwarf, it still would show up in infra-red.
Other than the entertaining book by Asimov called “Nemesis”, I seriously question there being one out there.
Thanks BenLurkin, nice two-list topic!
Thanks BenLurkin, nice two-list topic!
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