Star forming regions (APOD 12 Mar 2008)

[Raffles]

When I see images of star forming regions, I generally tend to think that they occur within a nebula. If this region is the result of a star explosion creating the nebula I am often asking myself how is there enough material from this single star explosion to allow the creation of multiple stars. Or would I be correct in thinking that the stars are forming in a region of gas and dust and once they 'switch on' they illuminate the surrounding region creating a reflection nebula. So I am often wondering how this region of space has gathered enough material for star formation.

Cheers

[bystander]

When I see images of star forming regions, I generally tend to think that they occur within a nebula. If this region is the result of a star explosion creating the nebula I am often asking myself how is there enough material from this single star explosion to allow the creation of multiple stars. Or would I be correct in thinking that the stars are forming in a region of gas and dust and once they 'switch on' they illuminate the surrounding region creating a reflection nebula. So I am often wondering how this region of space has gathered enough material for star formation.

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap080312.html

There are many types of nebula. Emission nebula emit their own radiation. Reflection nebula reflect radiation from nearby stars. Dark nebula block radiation.

Star forming regions are large (100's or 1000's ly) diffuse regions of dust and gas. Planetary nebula and supernova remnants are leftovers from the death of a star and are much smaller.

[orin stepanek]

This may help. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_formation
Orin

[neufer]

When I see images of star forming regions, I generally tend to think that they occur within a nebula. If this region is the result of a star explosion creating the nebula I am often asking myself how is there enough material from this single star explosion to allow the creation of multiple stars. Or would I be correct in thinking that the stars are forming in a region of gas and dust and once they 'switch on' they illuminate the surrounding region creating a reflection nebula. So I am often wondering how this region of space has gathered enough material for star formation.

The "star stuff" of elements heavier than lithium that make up our bodies is supposed to be super nova remnants of early very massive (i.e., up to 100 solar mass) hot stars that lived for a very short time.

[Raffles]

Thanks, for some reason I was of the opinion that star formation occured excluslively within star remnants such as nebulae possibly as once these areas are lit from the proto stars they resemble them. An area like the Orion nebula and its overall appearance tended to reinforce that for me.

cheers

[bystander]

Thanks, for some reason I was of the opinion that star formation occured excluslively within star remnants such as nebulae possibly as once these areas are lit from the proto stars they resemble them. An area like the Orion nebula and its overall appearance tended to reinforce that for me.

While the Orion Nebula may contain the remnants of super massive stars that have expired, but the region is too dense, and contains way to much mass to be the remnant of any one star. In fact, it contains an open star cluster, the Trapezium. It's size (~25 ly) is relatively small. It's about twice the size as the supernova remnant known as the Crab Nebula (~13 ly). It's really just a part of a much larger region known as the Orion Molecular Cloud Complex which contains many other nebula, super massive stars, and star forming regions.