Have you ever wondered what it would be like to fly through the constellation? Do you want to go through the California Nebula? We've seen fly-throughs of nebulae in sci-fi TV and movies. What if we could chart a path through the real thing with a warp-speed spaceship? The first thing we need is accurate data. A 3D model with precise distance measurements to stars and other objects would come in really handy.
We don't travel on spaceships to the stars, but we have a navigator showing us the way. It uses a pair of telescopes to do space-based astronomy. The goal is to measure distances to a billion stars from Earth. A complete 3D view of the Milky Way can be obtained with accurate distances to objects.
Gaia's work is helpful in other areas. A team of scientists were able to create realistic 3D views of the California nebulae. They will be able to understand why one is a starforming monster and the other is quiet.
The new 3D reconstructions shown in the video are by two people. Their work shows the California nebulae in a new way. The clouds on Earth appear similar, with a few differences. Astronomers didn't have a good feel for their shapes.
In this video, you can see a different view of Orion A in 3D. It is complex and has a dense structure. It is denser than the California Nebula and has a ridge of gas and dust. It is also a busy star-forming region.
The California Nebula is very close to our point of view. Astronomers don't have a single main measurement for it because it's about 500 light-years across. In 3D, it looks fairly flat and shows a small amount of structure and dense regions. There is a large bubble beneath the main cloud. The data shows that it is not as dense as thought. The starbirth region is not as busy as the cloud.
The two scientists used a method that was developed for her PhD research. They input data from the study of starlight as it passed through a nebula.
They reconstructed the shapes of the clouds at a resolution of only 15 light-years. It's a great addition to the nebula-measuring toolbox. It gives a better idea of why some nebulae are star-forming monsters. The same method will be used to study the entire Milky Way. She will map out the distribution of dust and figure out how it connects to star formation.
Clouds of gas and dust are visible throughout our galaxy and are also seen in other galaxies. Some of them don't make stars. The ones that have the right amount of star-maker material do the job. The star formation begins with cold, dense pockets of material. The dense regions collapse more when the temperatures are low. Under increased pressure, the thick regions start to heat up. A star-maker can use a lot of material. That efficiency is low if it is not very dense.
Calculating the star formation efficiency of a nebula used to be difficult. The amount of gas and dust in the cloud is shown. It is not the same as accurate.
One of the crucial properties that determine star-formation efficiency is density. Some clouds of gas and dust are more efficient than others. It has a lot to do with density.
It is not easy to calculate the densities of objects in space. Astronomers need to get accurate measure measurements in space because conventional observations don't have enough depth. They used to rely on the column density. The new 3D reconstructions created by the pair provide an advanced tool for understanding star birth in the universe.
Astronomers will get a more complete 3D view of the Milky Way with the use of data from other observations. The stars are distributed throughout the spiral arms and core. The Sagittarius DwarfGalaxy is currently ingesting. As the stars mix into the Milky Way, they should be able to be mapped. The study of starlight as it passes through nebulae is important. There are clues to the engines of starbirth that hatch newborn stars.
It isn't a stretch to think that Gaia's data will be part of stellar databases for a long time to come. Maybe someday, it will help guide humans on that long-awaited trip through a nebula.
Dust clouds in 3D.
There is a 3D shape that explains the mystery of California.
The website of Gaia.
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