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Astrophysics

Birth of stellar siblings

Nature volume 538, pages 466–467 (2016)Cite this article

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Binary and multiple star systems result from the fragmentation of dense material in young molecular clouds. Observations reveal that this can occur on small scales, supporting a previous model of star formation. See Letter p.483

When we look at the night sky with the naked eye, most stars look like single points of light. Taking a closer look using binoculars, one can quickly find two or more light sources in close proximity — a binary or multiple star system. As the sensitivity and resolution of telescopes have improved, astronomers have been able to determine the multiplicity of different types of star. For instance, about half of all Sun-like stars have at least one companion1. On page 483, Tobin et al.2 study a system of three young stars in close proximity to one another and provide evidence for a mechanism that explains how such systems are formed.

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Figure 1: The triple protostar system L1448 IRS3B.

J. Tobin/ALMA

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  1. Adele Plunkett is at the European Southern Observatory, Vitacura, Casilla 19001, Santiago, Chile.

    Adele Plunkett

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  1. Adele Plunkett
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Correspondence to Adele Plunkett.

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Plunkett, A. Birth of stellar siblings. Nature 538, 466–467 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/538466a

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