Astronomers Detect and 'Weigh' Very Young Solar System 21
ogre7299 writes "Astronomers have found direct evidence of a forming proto-solar system and 'weighed' the forming star for the first time The results were reported in Nature (abstract) and the pre-print is available at the arXiv. 'The star, called L1527 IRS, is only one-fifth the mass of the sun, and is expected to keep growing as the swirling disk of matter surrounding it falls into its surface. Astronomers estimated the star formed around the same time that Neanderthals evolved on Earth: just 300,000 years ago. ... Generally, a star forms from a cloud of gas that collapses into itself. Material streams inward from the cloud and forms a protostar in the center of a disk of gas and dust. Over millions of years, material falls on the protostar and releases quite a bit of energy. In L1527, 90 percent of its energy comes from material landing on the surface of the protostar. The remaining 10 percent comes from the star itself.' Measurements for the research came from the Submillimeter Array and the Combined Array for Research in Millimeter-wave Astronomy."
Who Knew? (Score:4, Funny)
Who knew that Neanderthal gas could be so potent? Must have been all that woolly mammoth chili. "A cloud of gas that collapses into itself" sounds like it would knock the poop outta ya though.
Weighed? (Score:4, Funny)
It sounds easy to find its weight (force due to gravity). Here at earth, that solar system weighs approximately 0 N.
Re: (Score:3)
They weighed its mass, not its weight.
They measured its mass.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
a lesser evil than replacing "weigh" with "measure the mass of" ... everywhere in astronomy.
You do know that's exactly what they do in astronomy, since they are only concerned about mass, not weight?
Posty correction (Score:4, Informative)
The post is incorrect. The homepage for the Combined Array for Research in Millimeter-wave Astronomy (CARMA) is actually http://www.mmarray.org .
Doesn't sound like a good place to go (Score:4, Funny)
"The star, called L1527 IRS"
Not a good destination for interstellar travelers - they already collect taxes there.
Stellar obesity (Score:1)
After weighing the young star system, astronomers have become concerned that young star may be obese. Stellar obesity is becoming an epidemic in the young star population these days, and astronomers are concerned that if something doesn't change soon, bans will need to be introduced on the advertising and possibly the consumption of junk proto-planetary dust and related materials. According to a recent report, stellar obesity costs the nation an estimated 10.3 trillion dollars in medical costs and lost pr
They worked up to it (Score:3, Funny)
They didn't just start out with little solar systems. They first started by weighing less heavy things, like Richard Stallman prior to bathing.
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They didn't just start out with little solar systems. They first started by weighing less heavy things, like Richard Stallman prior to bathing.
Bathing is a big deal for *nix neckbeards. I don't think you grasp the true gravity of the situation.
For instance: We are covered in little fur, "naked" except on the head and in stink causing regions. This is because our ancestors were likely aquatic, much like nearly all other mammals that have buoyant insulating fat focused predominantly in the exterior of their bodies along with a lack of fur... Dolphins, whales, hippos, etc. The growth of fragrance-hair is an adaptation that, unsurprisingly, is trig
they should name it (Score:2)
for Sir Patrick Moore, who died earlier today. Story & link to BBC obituary [slashdot.org].