The Submillimeter Array


Science: Star Formation


High-Mass Star Formation:

DR21 SMA view of star formation in the DR21 Ridge Star formation regions are dominated by filamentary structures, but the role that those filaments play in turning gas and dust into stars is still unclear. DR21 is a massive filament, around 15,000 solar masses, in the Cygnus-X region of the Milky Way.

Low-Mass Star Formation:

DR21 Low-mass stars Low-mass stars like our Sun are formed in dense cores of molecular gas clouds. At optical wavelengths, the star formation process is hidden from view by interstellar dust, and even at infrared wavelengths the most deeply embedded protostars often remain unseen.