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The connection to “humanity’s distant past” is quite tenous: > But it is very real, showcasing the process of stars being born a mere 390 light years from Eart
by AlbertoGP 3y ago
The connection to “humanity’s distant past” is quite tenous:
> But it is very real, showcasing the process of stars being born a mere 390 light years from Earth. This is the Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex, the closest star-forming region to Earth.
> Given the nursery's proximity and Webb's unparalleled scientific instruments, we have never had this kind of crystal-clear view of these processes before. [...]
> This is a revelatory view of our own distant past. Our own star and Solar System formed a little more than 4.5 billion years ago, when a molecular cloud collapsed into what became our Sun.
Still worth taking a look, best through the zoomable image linked to by yread in another comment: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36721362 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36721362
- sundarurfriend 3y agoAlso: > Farther away from this star and its cavity, there are orange-ish clouds. According to the Webb telescope's astronomers, these are organic compounds known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. These carbon-rich compounds are possibly an essential part of the genesis of life, although scientists are unsure of this.
- AlbertoGP 3y agoYes, you are right. I should have quoted that part too.
- denton-scratch 3y agoIt's not a "view of processes", it's a snapshot. I'm afraid it reads like a fan-review of a rock gig. The information content is low. It is a fantastic photo, though.