NEW DELHI: Westerlund 1, the largest and nearest ‘super’ star cluster to Earth, is being closely observed with new data from Nasa’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and other Nasa telescopes. These observations are helping astronomers study this active star-producing region in more detail.
This marks the first publicly released data from a project called the Extended Westerlund 1 and 2 Open Clusters Survey (EWOCS). EWOCS is led by astronomers from the Italian National Institute of Astrophysics in Palermo. Chandra observed Westerlund 1 for about 12 days in total as part of EWOCS.
Presently, only a few stars are formed in our galaxy each year. In the past, however, the Milky Way produced many more stars with its peak around 10 billion years ago, forming dozens or hundreds per year. Most of this occurred in massive clusters, known as ‘super star clusters,’ like Westerlund 1. These clusters are young and contain over 10,000 times the Sun’s mass. Westerlund 1 is between 3 million and 5 million years old.
The new image includes deep Chandra data and previous data from Nasa’s Hubble Space Telescope. Chandra’s X-rays reveal young stars and diffused heated gas in the cluster. The young stars mostly appear as white and pink, while the heated gas is shown in pink, green, and blue (with increasing temperatures). Hubble’s data highlights many stars as yellow and blue dots.
Few super star clusters exist in our galaxy today. They provide valuable insights into the era when most of our galaxy’s stars formed. Westerlund 1 is the largest remaining super star cluster in the Milky Way. It contains a mass between 50,000 and 100,000 times that of the Sun and is the closest to Earth at roughly 13,000 light-years away.
These attributes make Westerlund 1 an ideal target for studying the influence of a super star cluster’s environment on star and planet formation. Researchers can also study the evolution of stars across various masses.
The new Chandra data from Westerlund 1 has significantly increased the number of known X-ray sources in the cluster. Previously, Chandra had detected 1,721 sources in Westerlund 1. The EWOCS data has revealed nearly 6,000 X-ray sources, including many faint stars with lower masses than the Sun. This has provided astronomers with a new population of stars to study.
One notable discovery is that 1,075 stars are packed into the core of Westerlund 1 within a four light-year radius. To put this into perspective, four light-years is the distance between the Sun and its closest neighboring star.
The diffuse emission in the EWOCS data has led to the first detection of a halo of hot gas around the center of Westerlund 1. Astronomers believe this is crucial for understanding the cluster’s formation and evolution and for better estimating its mass.
This marks the first publicly released data from a project called the Extended Westerlund 1 and 2 Open Clusters Survey (EWOCS). EWOCS is led by astronomers from the Italian National Institute of Astrophysics in Palermo. Chandra observed Westerlund 1 for about 12 days in total as part of EWOCS.
Presently, only a few stars are formed in our galaxy each year. In the past, however, the Milky Way produced many more stars with its peak around 10 billion years ago, forming dozens or hundreds per year. Most of this occurred in massive clusters, known as ‘super star clusters,’ like Westerlund 1. These clusters are young and contain over 10,000 times the Sun’s mass. Westerlund 1 is between 3 million and 5 million years old.
The new image includes deep Chandra data and previous data from Nasa’s Hubble Space Telescope. Chandra’s X-rays reveal young stars and diffused heated gas in the cluster. The young stars mostly appear as white and pink, while the heated gas is shown in pink, green, and blue (with increasing temperatures). Hubble’s data highlights many stars as yellow and blue dots.
Few super star clusters exist in our galaxy today. They provide valuable insights into the era when most of our galaxy’s stars formed. Westerlund 1 is the largest remaining super star cluster in the Milky Way. It contains a mass between 50,000 and 100,000 times that of the Sun and is the closest to Earth at roughly 13,000 light-years away.
These attributes make Westerlund 1 an ideal target for studying the influence of a super star cluster’s environment on star and planet formation. Researchers can also study the evolution of stars across various masses.
The new Chandra data from Westerlund 1 has significantly increased the number of known X-ray sources in the cluster. Previously, Chandra had detected 1,721 sources in Westerlund 1. The EWOCS data has revealed nearly 6,000 X-ray sources, including many faint stars with lower masses than the Sun. This has provided astronomers with a new population of stars to study.
One notable discovery is that 1,075 stars are packed into the core of Westerlund 1 within a four light-year radius. To put this into perspective, four light-years is the distance between the Sun and its closest neighboring star.
The diffuse emission in the EWOCS data has led to the first detection of a halo of hot gas around the center of Westerlund 1. Astronomers believe this is crucial for understanding the cluster’s formation and evolution and for better estimating its mass.
Dr. Thomas Hughes is a UK-based scientist and science communicator who makes complex topics accessible to readers. His articles explore breakthroughs in various scientific disciplines, from space exploration to cutting-edge research.
