Magnetic fields could hold the key to star formation

Astronomers have discovered new magnetic fields in space, which could shed light on how stars are formed and uncover the mysteries behind one of the most famous celestial images.

For the first time, extremely subtle magnetic fields in the Pillars of Creation – a structure made famous thanks to an iconic image taken by the Hubble Space Telescope – have been discovered and mapped.

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Credit: University of Central Lancashire

Pillars of Creation.

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A computer simulation shows how an interstellar cloud of gas and dust can collapse and expand over 1.6 million years, forming "elephant trunks" like the ones seen in the "Pillars of Creation.

Space observatories have returned far-infrared (Herschel) and multi-energy x-ray (XMM-Newton) imagery of the Eagle Nebula, birthplace of new star systems, giving astronomers new understanding of processes sculpting the iconic "pillars".