Astronomy:Sagittarius C

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Sagittarius C
Molecular cloud
Giant molecular cloud
Sagittarius C
James Webb Space Telescope NIRCam image of star-formation in Sagittarius C.
Observation data: J2000.0 epoch
Right ascension 17h 44m 36.30s[1]
Declination−29° 28′ 13.0″[1]
ConstellationSagittarius
DesignationsSagittarius C, Sgr C
See also: Lists of nebulae

Sagittarius C (commonly abbreviated Sgr C) is a giant molecular cloud and star-forming region located in the Central Molecular Zone (CMZ) of the Milky Way galaxy's center. It is one of several prominent H II regions in the Galactic Center, alongside Sagittarius A, B1, Sagittarius B2, and D, and is notable for its dense gas, dust, and ongoing star formation under extreme environmental conditions. Situated approximately 200 light-years from the supermassive black hole Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*), Sgr C lies about 25,000 light-years from Earth in the direction of the constellation Sagittarius.[2][1][3][4][5]

Structure and composition

Sgr C spans approximately 50 light-years in extent, with detailed observations covering regions about 44 light-years across. It hosts an estimated 500,000 stars, including a significant population of young massive stars formed over the past 30 million years, totaling hundreds of thousands of solar masses. The region also includes an intermediate-age stellar population (2–7 billion years old), comprising about 50% of its stellar mass, which supports models of inside-out formation for the nuclear stellar disk.[6][7][3][8]

Observation and research

Early radio and infrared surveys identified Sgr C as a bright H II region.[9][10] In 2023, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) using its Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) provided high-resolution infrared images, uncovering approximately 500,000 stars, hidden protostellar clusters, and intricate gas structures.[2][3][11][12]

Subsequent studies in 2024–2025 integrated JWST data with observations from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and the MeerKAT radio telescope, confirming massive star formation, magnetic influences, and protostellar outflows. Ongoing research focuses on the role of magnetism, hidden young stars, and the broader implications for galactic evolution.[5][13][14][15]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Sagittarius C". https://simbad.cds.unistra.fr/mobile/object.html?object_name=Sagittarius%20C. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "NASA Webb Explores Effect of Strong Magnetic Fields on Star Formation - NASA Science" (in en-US). 2025-04-02. https://science.nasa.gov/missions/webb/nasa-webb-explores-effect-of-strong-magnetic-fields-on-star-formation/. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Sagittarius C (NIRCam Image) - NASA Science" (in en-US). 2023-11-20. https://science.nasa.gov/asset/webb/sagittarius-c-nircam-image/. 
  4. ↑ "The Webb Telescope Spotted Something Crazy Happening at the Heart of the Milky Way" (in en-US). 2025-05-05. https://scitechdaily.com/the-webb-telescope-spotted-something-crazy-happening-at-the-heart-of-the-milky-way/. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Webb telescope captures images, insight from one of Milky Way's most extreme environments | CU Boulder Today | University of Colorado Boulder" (in en). https://www.colorado.edu/today/2025/04/02/webb-telescope-captures-images-insight-one-milky-ways-most-extreme-environments. 
  6. ↑ Anderson, Natali (2024-02-13). "Sagittarius C Region Contains Hundreds of Thousands of Solar Masses of Young Stars: Study | Sci.News" (in en-US). https://www.sci.news/astronomy/sagittarius-c-stars-12680.html. 
  7. ↑ "Sagittarius C by JWST" (in en). https://www.planetary.org/space-images/sagittarius-c-by-jwst. 
  8. ↑ "Seeing Sagittarius C in a New Light - NASA" (in en-US). https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/seeing-sagittarius-c-in-a-new-light/. 
  9. ↑ Chuard, D.; Terrier, R.; Goldwurm, A.; Clavel, M.; Soldi, S.; Ponti, G.; Morris, M. R.; Jin, C. (January 2017). "An X-ray view of Sagittarius C" (in en). The Multi-Messenger Astrophysics of the Galactic Centre 322: 208–209. doi:10.1017/S1743921316012059. ISSN 1743-9221. Bibcode: 2017IAUS..322..208C. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2017IAUS..322..208C/abstract. 
  10. ↑ Liszt, H. S. (June 1985). "Structure of Sagittarius C observed at radio frequencies." (in en). The Astrophysical Journal 293: L65–L67. doi:10.1086/184492. ISSN 0004-637X. Bibcode: 1985ApJ...293L..65L. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1985ApJ...293L..65L/abstract. 
  11. ↑ Lucía Bravo Ferres; Nogueras-Lara, Francisco; Schödel, Rainer; Fedriani, Rubén; Ginsburg, Adam; Crowe, Samuel; Tan, Jonathan C.; Andersen, Morten; Armstrong, Joseph; Cheng, Yu; Li, Zhi-Yun (2025). "The JWST-NIRCam View of Sagittarius C. III. The Extinction Curve". arXiv:2510.10749v1 [astro-ph.GA].
  12. ↑ Lazaro, Enrico de (2023-11-20). "Webb Spots Huge Cluster of Protostars in Milky Way's Center: Sagittarius C | Sci.News" (in en-US). https://www.sci.news/astronomy/webb-sagittarius-c-12465.html. 
  13. ↑ Boulder, University of Colorado at. "Sagittarius C: Webb provides closest look yet at one of Milky Way's most extreme environments" (in en). https://phys.org/news/2025-04-sagittarius-webb-closet-milky-extreme.html. 
  14. ↑ Crowe, Samuel; Fedriani, Rubén; Tan, Jonathan C.; Kinman, Alva; Zhang, Yichen; Andersen, Morten; Bravo Ferres, Lucía; Nogueras-Lara, Francisco et al. (2025-04-01). "The JWST-NIRCam View of Sagittarius C. I. Massive Star Formation and Protostellar Outflows". The Astrophysical Journal 983 (1): 19. doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ad8889. ISSN 0004-637X. Bibcode: 2025ApJ...983...19C. 
  15. ↑ Lazaro, Enrico de (2023-11-20). "Webb Spots Huge Cluster of Protostars in Milky Way's Center: Sagittarius C | Sci.News" (in en-US). https://www.sci.news/astronomy/webb-sagittarius-c-12465.html. 



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