BHR 71: Stars, Clouds, and Jets
Credit & Copyright:
J. Alves
(ESO),
E. Tolstoy (Groningen),
R. Fosbury (ST-ECF), &
R. Hook (ST-ECF),
VLT
What is happening to
molecular cloud BHR 71?
Quite possible, a binary star
system is forming inside.
Most stars in
our Galaxy are part of
binary star systems,
but few have ever been seen in formation.
Recent observations of
dust-darkened
Bok Globule BHR 71, however,
show evidence for two young stars forming deep in the cloud,
likely close enough to form a binary.
Isolated BHR 71 spans about one
light year and lies only about 600 light years away
in the southern sky.
The brighter embedded star -- not visible here --
is about 10 times as bright as the
Sun
and drives the jet that
swept out the empty lane.
The above four-color image was taken with a
Very Large Telescope in
Chile.