Astronomers uncover how massive stars form by tracking interstellar ammonia. Using the U.S. National Science Foundation National Radio Astronomy Observatory’s (NSF NRAO) Very Large Array (NSF VLA), astronomers have, for the first time, captured the massive flow of gas surrounding a forming high-mass star—an essential process that drives its rapid growth. By studying HW2, a […]



Summary

Astronomers used the Very Large Array to observe a massive gas flow around the forming high-mass star HW2. By tracking interstellar ammonia molecules, they mapped the gas motion, revealing a funnel-like structure feeding material into the star. This observation confirms that high-mass stars gain their mass through a process similar to their lower-mass counterparts, albeit on a much larger and more chaotic scale. The swirling gas exhibits a complex network of streams, providing a crucial insight into the poorly understood mechanisms of massive star formation and how they accrete mass rapidly.

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