Researchers are mapping out the locations of mysterious galactic clouds. (Photo : NASA)
Giant gas clouds swirl in our galaxy, birthing new stars over millions of years. Now, astronomers have begun to map the location of these massive and mysterious objects, revealing a bit more about how they function.
In order to examine these clouds, the researchers employed a telescope, called the 22 meter Mopra millimeter wave telescope, at Coonabarabran in Australia. With it, they identified galactic clouds of molecular gas, which can be up to 100 light-years across, from the carbon monoxide that they contained.
"On Earth, carbon monoxide is poisonous--a silent killer," said Michael Burton, one of the researchers, in a news release. "But in space, it is the second most abundant molecule and the easiest to see. One of the largest unresolved mysteries in galactic astronomy is how these giant, diffuse clouds form in the interstellar medium. This process plays a key role in the cosmic cycle of birth and death of stars."
