Australian Sky & Telescope - May 2018

Milky

Way

O Abundance

(% solar)

Stars

Stellar & Gas Masses

(solar masses)

Gas

Star-Formation Rate

(solar masses/year)

Gas mass is based on neutral hydrogen

content. Astronomers don’t have a specific

estimateforJ0811+4730’sgasmass,so

only its estimated mass in stars is shown. 100

101

102

103

104

105

106

107

108

109

1010

1011

~10 0

%

2

SSTELLAR NURSERYMassive stars make oxygen, littering

theirnatalneighborhoodsandstarsbornthere.Thisfalse-

colour Hubble image of the Carina Nebula shows oxygen

inblue,hydrogenandnitrogeningreen,andsulfurinred.

Oxygen glows primarily where young stars have carved out

the clouds.

CARINA: NASA / ESA / M. LIVIO / HUBBLE 20TH ANNIVERSARY TEAM (STSCI); BLUE BACKG

ROUND: HARDIK PETHANI / GETTY IMAGES

Galaxy scorecard

PRIMORDIAL PROXIES

30 AUSTRALIAN SKY & TELESCOPE May | June 2018