Produced by: Mohsin Shaikh
Two mysterious "icy balls" discovered in the Milky Way challenge existing star formation theories, leaving astronomers puzzled over their origins and properties.
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The objects emit infrared light like stars but are encased in abundant ice, a stark contradiction to traditional star formation processes.
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Located tens of thousands of light-years apart, the icy balls share strikingly similar spectral and infrared properties, raising questions about their origin.
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Made of carbon monoxide and silicon dioxide, their icy composition suggests conditions far colder than typical star-forming regions.
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The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) revealed fine details about the objects’ structure and composition, sparking intrigue.
Credit: ESO/C. Malin
Professor Jane Greaves, University of Cardiff, called the findings “fascinating but puzzling,” highlighting their contradictory traits.
Lead researcher Dr. Takashi Shimonishi admitted, “We cannot find any theories that explain their spectral energy properties.”
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Future observations using the James Webb Space Telescope aim to analyze their icy and dusty composition in unprecedented detail.
The discovery suggests that stars or stellar remnants could form in colder, more stable conditions than previously thought.
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These findings challenge long-held assumptions about star formation and could redefine our understanding of galactic evolution.
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