Star formation. Image 4 of 6. Computer model of the light year (ly) wide core of a wide gas ball 246,000 years after it began collapsing, a

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Star formation. Image 4 of 6. Computer model of the light year (ly) wide core of a wide gas ball 246,000 years after it began collapsing, a process that causes star formation. The ball holds 50 solar masses of gas and collapses under its own gravity. Brighter areas are denser. New stars (white) and a dense gas disc (lower centre) are seen. This model used 100,000 processing hours on a supercomputer at the United Kingdom Astro- physical Fluid Facility (UKAFF) at Leicester University, UK. It will increase understanding of the star formation process, and the likelihood of planetary system formation. For a sequence lasting 266,000 years, see images R590/089-094.

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Size: 4200px × 4200px
Photo credit: © MATTHEW BATE/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: 246, astronomical, astronomy, astrophysics, birth, central, centre, chaos, chaotic, collapse, computer, core, cosmological, cosmology, dynamics, evolution, formation, gas, gravitational, gravity, interstellar, kingdom, model, modelled, modelling, research, science, simulated, simulation, star, starbirth, stars, stellar, uk, ukaff, united