Astronomers Begin to Map Galaxy's Giant Gas Clouds Where Stars are Born

A team of astronomers have begun mapping the location of the giant gas clouds where stars are born. Already, the group has covered a region of the sky roughly the size of four full moons, the results of which are published in Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia. 

The researchers, which hail from the University of New South Wales, identify the galactic clouds that can reach up to 100 light-years across through detecting the carbon monoxide contained within them.

"On Earth, carbon monoxide is poisonous - a silent killer," Michael Burton, a physics professor at UNSW and the study's lead researcher, said in a statement. "But in space, it is the second most abundant molecule and the easiest to see."

Through their research, the scientists hope to gain a better understanding of the evolution of these mysterious space objects fueled on by the explosion and deaths of stars.

"One of the largest unresolved mysteries in galactic astronomy is how these giant, diffuse clouds form in the interstellar medium," he said. "This process plays a key role in the cosmic cycle of birth and death of stars."

The team says it is also searching for so-called "dark" galactic gas clouds, or unseen clouds that boast very little carbon monoxide. Currently, scientists believe these clouds are largely comprised of molecular hydrogen, which is too cold to detect.

In addition to the 22-meter Mopra millimeter wave telescope at Coonabarabran, the team is using telescopes in Antarctica and Chile to search for these clouds the presence of carbon atoms, rather than carbon molecules.

It's possible, the researchers note, that these dark clouds could represent the missing source of many of the gamma rays observed by scientists.

"The source of more than 30 [percent] of gamma rays remains unidentified -- another big mystery our research could throw light on," Burton said.

In the end, Burton explains, the combination of those observations taken from all three telescopes "will provide us with a picture of the distribution and movement of gas clouds in our galaxy."