"Cradle for baby stars" discovered near the remnants of a supernova explosion from about 1,600 years ago

Explanation

A joint research team from Niigata University, Gifu University, RIKEN, and Kyoto University used the ALMA Telescope in Chile, South America, to discover a warm clump of molecular gas called a "hot core," enveloping a newly formed star, near a region where a massive star exploded (a supernova remnant) about 1,600 years ago. Hot cores are known to contain a variety of organic molecules, making them an important clue for investigating where and how molecules that could serve as the building blocks of life form in the universe. The discovery is considered valuable because it directly captured the scene of a new star being born right next to a supernova explosion.