A lot of structures in our universe are the result of jets, collisions, and shockwaves. This leads to areas of compressed material, and this compressed material can be the perfect place for stars to form. Enter molecular cloud G0.253+0.016, aka “The Brick”.

This particular chunk of dense material lurks toward the core of our galaxy and generally appears as a dark blob against the bright glow of the Milky Way’s Central Molecular Zone. Initial observations showed no star formation, but researcher Jonathan Henshaw remarks: When investigating the gas motion of the Brick, we find one component that stands out. That sub-structure, confined to a narrow range of velocities, resembles a crescent-shaped arc.

And in astronomy, when you see an arc, it often means something is blowing a bubble.

After measuring motions in the bubble, the team worked backwards to figure out how long it had been growing and came up with a few hundred thousand years. In the lifetime of a star, that is the blink of an eye. Henshaw further explains: We explored several plausible scenarios that may account for an expanding envelope forming the arc. Comparing predictions from theory to our observations, we found that the stellar wind from a massive star of about 20 solar masses is likely the dominant mechanism.

Stars don’t form in isolation, and these observations hint at a star cluster coming into being in this Brick of a cloud. What today appears as a dark smudge will someday shine with the light of hundreds of stars. If the JWST launches, its long-wavelength capabilities may let us peer into the dust and watch this new system being born. If… 

In the latest JWST news, the presser to talk about when it will be launched was delayed. Yes folks, the info on when the delayed telescope will be launched has also been delayed.

More Information

MPIA press release

“A wind-blown bubble in the Central Molecular Zone cloud G0.253+0.016,” Jonathan D Henshaw et al., 2021 December 17, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society