Research news on Young stellar objects

Young stellar objects (YSOs) as a research area encompass the observational and theoretical study of stars in their early evolutionary phases, from deeply embedded protostars to pre-main-sequence stars such as T Tauri and Herbig Ae/Be objects. This field investigates accretion processes, circumstellar disks, jets and outflows, variability, and the interaction of YSOs with their natal molecular environments across multiple wavelengths (X-ray to radio). Research on YSOs constrains star formation efficiencies, timescales, initial mass functions, and disk evolution, providing critical boundary conditions for models of planet formation and feedback-regulated galactic star formation.

Webb unveils young stars across every stage of formation

For this NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope Picture of the Month, we return to the constellation Orion (the Hunter), a location familiar to Webb. This area of the sky is replete with star-forming clouds that make up ...

Longest-period young transiting exoplanets discovered

It's 2234, you're on your annual class field trip touring exoplanets, and your teacher informs everyone they can pick one more exoplanetary system to explore before heading back to Earth. You and your classmates are exhausted ...

A natural chemistry laboratory in protostar shock waves

Life exists because elements combine to form complex organic molecules. Astrochemistry studies this process, trying to understand how nature creates carbon-based molecules critical for life. One source for these types of ...

How do close binary stars form?

Our sun is a bit of an outlier in the general stellar population. We typically think of stars as being solitary wanderers throughout the galaxy. But roughly half of sun-like stars are locked in with more than one companion ...

Orbital dances unlock true masses of Orion's young stars

A star's mass determines its entire life story, from how it shines to how it dies. For young stars shrouded in dust, getting an accurate mass has long been difficult, but new radio measurements are beginning to change that. ...

Hubble dazzles with young stars in Trifid Nebula

This shimmering region of star-formation, a close-up of the Trifid Nebula about 5,000 light-years from Earth, was captured in intricate detail by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. The colors in Hubble's visible light image, ...

Webb eyes a pair of planet-forming disks

This month's NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope Picture of the Month offers us a two-for-one on brand new stars—with some potential planets thrown in as well. This visual highlights Webb's views of the protoplanetary ...

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