May
16
The Herschel Space Observatory has made a major finding — a hole in space.
The hole is close to a triple star system called V38O Ori. NASA scientists said the hole appears to have been created when one of the three stars in the system launched a jet of radiation, creating a gap in the swirl of gas and dust that contains fledgling stars. They also theorize that jets and stellar radiation from other stars contributed to the gap.
“No one has ever seen a hole like this,” said Tom Megeath of the University of Toledo, Ohio, in a written statement. “It’s as surprising as knowing you have worms tunneling under your lawn, but finding one morning that they have created a huge, yawning pit.” Megeath is the principal investigator of the research and works in conjunction with NASA.