SPACE — If we observe the night sky, we may wonder how often stars are created in the universe? Do more stars die every day than are born, or is it vice versa?
The process of creating stars involves the merging of gas and cosmic dust through gravitational forces, as explained by Professor Paul Roche, Head of Astronomy Education at Cardiff University, in an article in Sky At Night Magazine.
Roche explains that this process continues until the cold gas and dust finally collapses under its own gravitational force. The object eventually reaches a density high enough to support nuclear fusion.
However, when we are interested in the dynamics of star formation and death, the question arises: which occurs at a higher rate?
How many stars were born in the Milky Way?
The star formation process in the Milky Way currently involves about 4 solar masses of gas contracting into stars each year. Because stars are on average less massive than the Sun, astronomers believe that the Milky Way produces about 7 stars each year.
To date, the Milky Way has converted around 90% of its gas content into stars. Estimated stellar death rates in the Milky Way suggest that about 2 high-mass stars explode as supernovae every century, and one low-mass star forms a planetary nebula every year.
Thus, it seems that the birth rate of stars is slightly higher than the death rate. This implies that more stars are dying in our Galaxy than are forming.
However, this is a rough estimate as these two levels are difficult to measure, especially due to the presence of gas and dust that obscures most areas of the Galaxy.
In the context of the wider universe, star formation rates vary. Star formation rates range from almost zero in elliptical galaxies to very high rates in “starburst” galaxies.
Starburst galaxies have star formation rates 100–1,000 times those currently seen in the Milky Way. So, in our Galaxy, it seems that more stars are forming than dying. However, on a larger scale, the picture remains unclear.
2024-01-03 03:30:00
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