Cosmic Collisions

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Cosmic Collisions: SOFIA Unravels the Mysterious Formation of Star Clusters

Quote

The sun, like all stars, was born in a giant cold cloud of molecular gas and dust. It may have had dozens or even hundreds of stellar siblings – a star cluster – but these early companions are now scattered throughout our Milky Way galaxy. Although the remnants of this particular creation event have long since dispersed, the process of star birth continues today within our galaxy and beyond. Star clusters are conceived in the hearts of optically dark clouds where the early phases of formation have historically been hidden from view. But these cold, dusty clouds shine brightly in the infrared, so telescopes like the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, SOFIA, can begin to reveal these long-held secrets. 

  Read More: NASA

 

[zep73]

On a cosmic scale, light is actually very slow. Like you have to wait 80 years to send and receive a signal from the nearest star.
Most stars are millions of years away in light. Some of them are galaxies. They a billions of years away!

Everything you see is older than ancient. Much much older. The supernovas we have seen from earth are also. Happened so long ago, long before humanity came about.

There is no now in the night sky, only very distant ancient times. But you knew that already, didn't you?