Snowflake Cluster
Encyclopedia
The Snowflake Cluster is a cluster in Monoceros
and is included in NGC 2264
.
s appear to have formed in regularly spaced intervals along linear structures in a configuration that resembles the spokes of a wheel or the pattern of a snowflake
. Hence, astronomers have nicknamed their new discovery the "Snowflake Cluster."
s, or newborn stars. At a mere 100,000 years old, these infant structures have yet to "crawl" away from their location of birth. Over time, the natural drifting motions of each star will break this order, and the snowflake design will be no more. The Spitzer
observations show that just as theory predicts, the density and temperature of the initial star-forming cloud dictates the spacing between the protostars.
Monoceros
Monoceros is a faint constellation on the celestial equator. Its name is Greek for unicorn. Its definition is attributed to the 17th-century Dutch cartographer Petrus Plancius. It is bordered by Orion to the west, Gemini to the north, Canis Major to the south and Hydra to the east...
and is included in NGC 2264
NGC 2264
NGC 2264 is the designation number of the New General Catalogue that identifies two astronomical objects as a single object:*the Cone Nebula,*the Christmas Tree Cluster,Two other objects are within this designation but not officially included:...
.
Name
The starStar
A star is a massive, luminous sphere of plasma held together by gravity. At the end of its lifetime, a star can also contain a proportion of degenerate matter. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun, which is the source of most of the energy on Earth...
s appear to have formed in regularly spaced intervals along linear structures in a configuration that resembles the spokes of a wheel or the pattern of a snowflake
Snowflake
Snowflakes are conglomerations of frozen ice crystals which fall through the Earth's atmosphere. They begin as snow crystals which develop when microscopic supercooled cloud droplets freeze. Snowflakes come in a variety of sizes and shapes. Complex shapes emerge as the flake moves through...
. Hence, astronomers have nicknamed their new discovery the "Snowflake Cluster."
Information
Scientists believe that these are very young protostarProtostar
A protostar is a large mass that forms by contraction out of the gas of a giant molecular cloud in the interstellar medium. The protostellar phase is an early stage in the process of star formation. For a one solar-mass star it lasts about 100,000 years...
s, or newborn stars. At a mere 100,000 years old, these infant structures have yet to "crawl" away from their location of birth. Over time, the natural drifting motions of each star will break this order, and the snowflake design will be no more. The Spitzer
Spitzer Space Telescope
The Spitzer Space Telescope , formerly the Space Infrared Telescope Facility is an infrared space observatory launched in 2003...
observations show that just as theory predicts, the density and temperature of the initial star-forming cloud dictates the spacing between the protostars.