Massive Protostar Growth In Real Time

There are many different shapes and sizes of stars in our solar system and in our universe. There have been many massive protostar studies done in the past, but this particular type of star is not understood as much, and so any information that can be obtained about them is essential for understanding how they are formed and how they grow.

Discovery of W75N(B)-VLA2

The discovery of this amazing protostars, W75N(B)-VLA2, occurred when scientists were performing massive protostar studies, as seen at NASA, which allowed them to find this unique star formations in the W75N(B) star cloud region. Astronomers were able to observe this brand new star through the VLA or Very Large Array found at the National Science Foundation. This gave them a great start on the study of protostars.

Protostars are the infants of the universe and give scientists a unique look into star formation. In the case of W75N(B)-VLA2, being able to observe the growth of this amazing massive star is a huge breakthrough when it comes to the understanding of how stars grow and evolve over time.

Growth in Real Time

Scientists and astronomers have been able to perform massive protostar studies on W75N(B)-VLA2 over the course of 18 years. This has given them the unique opportunity to observe how massive stars, such as these, are formed and how they develop. By having the ability to observe W75N(B)-VLA2 and see its growth in real time, scientists are better able to understand what protostars go through to evolve.

There are a series of hot stellar winds that are ejected from a protostars over a period of time. These winds are what provide the star with a sort of shell that helps to protect it and ensure its successful growth. They also help in the overall star formation as they slow down and spread out, as they will be giving the star its shape. When the winds hit the star’s torus, it causes friction and forces them to slow down, giving the star its current elongated appearance.

The future of Protostars

While there is still much to understand about protostars and the way that they grow, scientists and astronomers alike are very happy with W75N(B)-VLA2 and all of the great revelations it has provided in regards to this process so far. The W75N(B)-VLA2 protostar is more than 6 times the current mass of our Sun, and is expelling a rather uniform rate of energy at this stage of its life. With the many massive protostar studies, as seen at Aspire, there will be much more to learn about these stars in the coming years.

Through the comparison of both original and current photos of the W75N(B)-VLA2 protostar, scientists have been able to clearly see how much the star has changed and evolved in such a short period of time. This revelation can help scientists to understand how long it takes protostars to grow and in turn, how old all of the different stars are that we are currently aware of in our solar system and in our universe.

There is much anticipation to see what will happen next with this protostar and with other massive protostar studies in the near future. The National Science Foundation is going to continue to keep an eye on this star for many years to come, in hopes that the great secrets of our massive universe will reveal themselves and show us how stars are truly created.