ESO Supernova: Kosmisches Kino

In this Kosmisches Kino, Dr. Asmita Bhandare from the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU) takes us to the breathtaking birthplaces of star systems. She will unveil how baby stars are born and how material assembles around them to build the cradle of future planets.

This event is in English.

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Some of the darkest and coldest areas in the Universe are not empty space but dense clouds of gas and dust. Astronomers have spent decades uncovering what hides inside them: they are the birthplaces of stars. Around most newborn stars, a swirling disc gathers and forms a cocoon where planets may one day grow. The raw material gives rise to a rich diversity of star-disc systems that span a wide range of masses and sizes. The beginnings of star formation are further shaped by the cosmic neighbourhood: nearby massive stars, powerful winds, bursts of radiation, and stars passing by can all influence how young systems evolve. 

Only in the past few years have astronomers begun to spot clear signs of planets assembling near stars which are not yet themselves fully formed. They appear much earlier than expected. Together with Asmita Bhandare, we will journey through the Universe’s blueprint for sculpting star systems - from the first hints of dark structures to today’s spectacular images of stellar nurseries. Along the way, we will discover how astronomers create baby stars in their computers and which ingredients in their recipes can forge stars surrounded by planets.