Persbericht
Kosmisch weerbericht: na donkere wolken komt zonneschijn
3 september 2014
Lupus 4, een spinvormige klodder van gas en stof, steekt op deze intrigerende nieuwe opname donker af tegen de achtergrondsterren, zoals een donkere wolk tijdens een maanloze nacht. Maar er gloort hoop in de duisternis: uit dichte concentraties van materiaal in wolken als Lupus 4 worden helder stralende nieuwe sterren geboren. De nieuwe foto is gemaakt met de Wide Field Imager van de 2,2-meter MPG/ESO-telescoop van de ESO-sterrenwacht op La Silla (Chili).
Lupus 4 bevindt zich ongeveer 400 lichtjaar van de aarde, in het grensgebied van de sterrenbeelden Lupus (Wolf) en Norma (Winkelhaak). De wolk maakt deel uit van een complex van donkere wolken in een losse verzameling van sterren die de Scorpius–Centaurus OB-associatie wordt genoemd. Een OB-associatie is een relatief jonge, maar wijd verspreide samenscholing van sterren [1]. De sterren zijn waarschijnlijk uit een en dezelfde reusachtige materiewolk ontstaan.
Omdat deze associatie en zijn Lupus-wolken de meest nabije in hun soort zijn, zijn ze een belangrijk doelwit voor het onderzoek naar de manier waarop sterren gezamenlijk opgroeien. Vermoed wordt dat ook onze zon, net als de meeste andere sterren in ons Melkwegstelsel, in zo’n omgeving is ontstaan.
De oudste beschrijvingen van de donkere Lupus-wolken, uit 1927, staan op naam van de Amerikaanse astronoom Edward Emerson Barnard. Dankzij de aanwezigheid van een veertigtal jonge sterren die de afgelopen drie miljoen jaar zijn ontstaan, en op het punt staan om hun fusie-ovens op te starten (eso1303), is Lupus 3, die naast Lupus 4 ligt, het best onderzicht. De belangrijkste energiebron van deze sterren-in-wording, die T Tauri-sterren worden genoemd, is de warmte die vrijkomt doordat ze onder invloed van de zwaartekracht samentrekken. Bij volwassen sterren zoals onze zon is dat anders: hun energie is afkomstig van de fusie van waterstof en andere elementen.
Waarnemingen van de koude duisternis van Lupus 4 hebben slechts een paar T Tauri-sterren opgeleverd. Maar de toekomst van de stervorming in Lupus 4 ziet er niet somber uit: in de wolk bevindt zich een dichte, sterloze kern van materiaal. Binnen enkele miljoenen jaren zal ook deze kern zich ontwikkelen tot T Tauri-sterren. Daaruit kunnen we afleiden dat Lupus 4 wat jonger is dan Lupus 3, die blijkbaar meer tijd heeft gehad om sterren te ontwikkelen.
Hoeveel sterren er uiteindelijk in Lupus 4 zullen stralen? Dat laat zich moeilijk voorspellen, omdat de massa-schattingen van Lupus 4 sterk uiteenlopen. Twee onderzoeken komen uit op ongeveer 250 maal de massa van de zon. Op basis van een andere methode komt een derde onderzoek echter uit op ongeveer 1600 zonsmassa’s. Hoe dan ook bevat de wolk ruimschoots voldoende materiaal om de vorming van vele heldere nieuwe sterren mogelijk te maken. De toekomst van deze kosmische donkere wolk ziet er dus beslist zonnig uit.
Noten
[1] De letters ‘OB’ verwijzen naar de hete, heldere, kort levende sterren van spectraaltypen O en B die nog deel uitmaken van deze wijd verspreide verzameling sterren.
Meer informatie
ESO is the foremost intergovernmental astronomy organisation in Europe and the world’s most productive ground-based astronomical observatory by far. It is supported by 15 countries: Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Czechia, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. ESO carries out an ambitious programme focused on the design, construction and operation of powerful ground-based observing facilities enabling astronomers to make important scientific discoveries. ESO also plays a leading role in promoting and organising cooperation in astronomical research. ESO operates three unique world-class observing sites in Chile: La Silla, Paranal and Chajnantor. At Paranal, ESO operates the Very Large Telescope, the world’s most advanced visible-light astronomical observatory and two survey telescopes. VISTA works in the infrared and is the world’s largest survey telescope and the VLT Survey Telescope is the largest telescope designed to exclusively survey the skies in visible light. ESO is the European partner of a revolutionary astronomical telescope ALMA, the largest astronomical project in existence. ESO is currently planning the 39-metre European Extremely Large optical/near-infrared Telescope, the E-ELT, which will become “the world’s biggest eye on the sky”.
Links
- Foto’s van de 2,2-meter MPG/ESO-telescoop
- Andere foto’s die met de 2,2-meter MPG/ESO-telescoop zijn gemaakt
- Foto’s van La Silla
Contact
Richard Hook
ESO education and Public Outreach Department
Garching bei München, Germany
Tel: +49 89 3200 6655
Mobiel: +49 151 1537 3591
E-mail: rhook@eso.org
Marieke Baan (Perscontact Nederland)
ESO Science Outreach Network
en NOVA Informatie Centrum
Tel: +31(0)20-5257480
E-mail: eson-netherlands@eso.org
Over dit bericht
| Persberichten nr.: | eso1427nl |
| Naam: | Lupus 4 |
| Type: | Milky Way : Nebula : Appearance : Dark |
| Facility: | MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope |
| Instruments: | WFI |
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