Sagittarius C hides more young stars than expected
Astronomers at the European Southern Observatory (ESO) have released a new image from the Very Large Telescope (VLT) that captures a vast region of star formation at the center of the Milky Way. This telescope is located in the Atacama Desert in Chile and is capable of taking infrared images. The image shows Sagittarius C (Sgr C), which lies approximately 300 light-years from our galaxy's central supermassive black hole, known as Sagittarius A*.
ESO officials said the center of the Milky Way is the most prolific star-forming region in the entire galaxy. However, despite this, astronomers typically find only a fraction of the expected number of young stars in images of this region. Clouds of dust and gas in the area interfere with observations, blocking starlight and reducing the number of visible objects. Observing the center of a galaxy poses a challenge for astronomers.
Using the VLT's HAWK-I infrared camera, astronomers were able to peer through clouds of dust and gas and see Sagittarius C's population of densely packed stars. Analysis of data obtained using the VLT allowed us to determine the chemical composition of this region and conclude that Sagittarius C is a promising candidate for the role of a «stellar nursery».
A recent study has shown that Sgr C contains a significantly larger number of young stars compared to other regions near the galactic center.