View source for Astronomy:Serpens South

{{Short description|Relatively dense cluster of more than 600 young stars}}
{{ Infobox open cluster
| image = [[Image:Serpens south.jpg|180px|A cluster of new stars called Serpens South]]
| caption = A cluster of new stars called Serpens South.<br/>Courtesy of [[Organization:NASA|NASA]]/ESA
| name = Serpens South
| type = Emission
| epoch = J2000.0
| ra = {{RA|18|30|03.00}}<ref name=SIMBAD>{{cite simbad|title=NAME Serpens South Cluster|accessdate=11 April 2018}}</ref>
| dec = {{DEC|−02|01|58.2}}<ref name=SIMBAD/>
|dist_ly=1422 ± 30 [[Astronomy:Light-year|ly]]
|dist_pc={{nowrap|436.0 ± 9.2 [[Astronomy:Parsec|pc]]}}<ref name=OrtizLeon16>{{Cite journal| last = Ortiz-León | first = G. N. | display-authors = etal | year=2016 | title = The Gould's Belt Distances Survey (GOBELINS) III. The distance to the Serpens/Aquila Molecular Complex | journal = The Astrophysical Journal | volume = 834 | issue = 2 | pages = 143 |arxiv=1610.03128 | doi = 10.3847/1538-4357/834/2/143 | bibcode = 2017ApJ...834..143O | s2cid = 10802135 | doi-access = free }}</ref>
| appmag_v = 
| size_v = 14.4 × 20.3 arcmins
| constellation = Serpens
| radius_ly = 3.5 × 5 ly
| absmag_v = 
| notes = 
| names = 
}}
The '''Serpens South''' star cluster<ref name="GutermuthBourke2008" /> is a relatively dense group of more than 600 young stars, dozens of which are [[Astronomy:Protostar|protostar]]s just beginning to form.<ref name="Getman2016" /><ref name="MauryAndré2011">{{cite journal|last1=Maury|first1=A. J.|last2=André|first2=P.|last3=Men'shchikov|first3=A.|last4=Könyves|first4=V.|last5=Bontemps|first5=S.|title=The formation of active protoclusters in the Aquila rift: a millimeter continuum view|journal=Astronomy & Astrophysics|volume=535|year=2011|pages=A77|issn=0004-6361|doi=10.1051/0004-6361/201117132|bibcode=2011A&A...535A..77M|arxiv = 1108.0668 |s2cid=119285813 }}</ref> The [[Astronomy:Star cluster|cluster]] is situated in the southern portion of the [[Astronomy:Serpens|Serpens]] cloud (adjacent to the star-forming region known as [[Astronomy:Westerhout 40|W40]]). The stars are embedded in a dense filament of interstellar gas, which is part of the giant molecular cloud that has given rise to the cluster of young stars in W40. This entire complex is located at a distance of 1420 light-years (436 pc) from the Earth, and is approximately the same distance as the Serpens Main cluster.<ref name=OrtizLeon16/>

The cluster was uncovered by NASA's [[Astronomy:Spitzer Space Telescope|Spitzer Space Telescope]].<ref name="GutermuthBourke2008">{{cite journal|last1=Gutermuth|first1=R. A.|last2=Bourke|first2=T. L.|last3=Allen|first3=L. E.|last4=Myers|first4=P. C.|last5=Megeath|first5=S. T.|last6=Matthews|first6=B. C.|last7=Jørgensen|first7=J. K.|last8=Di Francesco|first8=J.|last9=Ward-Thompson|first9=D.|last10=Huard|first10=T. L.|last11=Brooke|first11=T. Y.|last12=Dunham|first12=M. M.|last13=Cieza|first13=L. A.|last14=Harvey|first14=P. M.|last15=Chapman|first15=N. L.|title=TheSpitzerGould Belt Survey of Large Nearby Interstellar Clouds: Discovery of a Dense Embedded Cluster in the Serpens-Aquila Rift|journal=The Astrophysical Journal|volume=673|issue=2|year=2008|pages=L151–L154|issn=0004-637X|doi=10.1086/528710|bibcode=2008ApJ...673L.151G|arxiv = 0712.3303 |s2cid=339753 }}</ref> This discovery was made possible by the [[Astronomy:Infrared astronomy|infrared]] capabilities of this space telescope, which were necessary because the stars are completely obscured by interstellar dust in the Serpens cloud at visible [[Wavelength|wavelength]]s. Hundreds of young stellar objects have been detected at mid-infrared objects using these data.<ref name="PovichKuhn2013">{{cite journal|last1=Povich|first1=Matthew S.|last2=Kuhn|first2=Michael A.|last3=Getman|first3=Konstantin V.|last4=Busk|first4=Heather A.|last5=Feigelson|first5=Eric D.|last6=Broos|first6=Patrick S.|last7=Townsley|first7=Leisa K.|last8=King|first8=Robert R.|last9=Naylor|first9=Tim|title=THE MYStIX INFRARED-EXCESS SOURCE CATALOG|journal=The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series|volume=209|issue=2|year=2013|pages=31|issn=0067-0049|doi=10.1088/0067-0049/209/2/31|arxiv = 1309.4497 |bibcode = 2013ApJS..209...31P |s2cid=62807763 }}</ref> [[Astronomy:X-ray astronomy|X-ray]] observations by NASA's [[Astronomy:Chandra X-ray Observatory|Chandra X-ray Observatory]] have also provided detailed information about the stellar cluster.<ref name= Winston09>{{Cite journal | last = Winston | first = E. | year=2009 | title = A Chandra Snapshot of Serpens South | journal = Chandra Proposal | pages = 11200492| bibcode =2009cxo..prop.2775W}}</ref><ref name="Getman2016">{{Cite journal | last1 = Getman | display-authors = etal | year=2016 | title = Star Formation In Nearby Clouds (SFiNCs): X-ray And Infrared Source Catalogs And Membership |arxiv=1612.05282 | doi=10.3847/1538-4365/229/2/28 | volume=229 | journal=The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series | issue = 2 | page=28|bibcode = 2017ApJS..229...28G | s2cid = 59124520 | doi-access = free }}</ref> And, the region has served as a laboratory for radio-wavelength studies of star formation in dense molecular filaments.<ref name=Kirk13>{{Cite journal | last = Kirk | first = H. | display-authors = etal | year=2013 | title = Filamentary Accretion Flows in the Embedded Serpens South Protocluster | journal = Astrophysical Journal | volume = 766 | issue =2 | pages = 115 | doi =10.1088/0004-637X/766/2/115 | bibcode =2013ApJ...766..115K |arxiv = 1301.6792 | s2cid = 55835836 }}</ref>

The discovery of Serpens South is a direct result of the [[Astronomy:Gould Belt Survey|Gould's Belt Legacy]] project at the Center for Astrophysics {{!}} Harvard & Smithsonian, which aims to study all prominent star-forming regions within about 1,600 light-years of Earth.<ref>[http://www.physorg.com/news105801659.html Two Telescopes Combine to Probe Young 'Family' of Stars]</ref><ref>[http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/gouldbelt/ Mission statement - Gould's Belt Survey]</ref> The Gould Belt is a ring of molecular clouds and associated star-forming regions first described by astronomer Benjamin Gould in 1879. Although the Serpens Molecular cloud is too distant to formally be considered a member of the [[Astronomy:Gould Belt|Gould Belt]], it is often included in Gould Belt surveys.<ref name=OrtizLeon16 />

Serpens South is located half a degree west of the main W40 cluster and three degrees south of the Serpens Main cluster.

[[File:The_Spitzer_Space_Telescope%27s_view_of_W40.jpg|thumb|The Serpens South cluster can be seen as a small group of stars near the top of this large-scale Spitzer mosaic, just to the right of the center, while the neighboring W40 (left side of the image) dominates in the mid-infrared.]]

== See also ==
* [[Astronomy:Serpens-Aquila Rift|Serpens-Aquila Rift]]
* [[Astronomy:Star formation#Stellar nurseries|Star-Forming Regions]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==

* [http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/spitzer/index.shtml The Spitzer Space Telescope] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091028142505/http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/spitzer/index.shtml |date=2009-10-28 }}
* [http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/ The Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics homepage]
* [http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/gouldbelt/ The Gould's Belt Survey]


{{sky|18|30|03.0|-|02|01|58|1420}}
{{Stars of Serpens}}
{{navconstel}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Serpens South}}
[[Category:Star clusters]]
[[Category:Milky Way]]
[[Category:Star-forming regions]]

{{Sourceattribution|Serpens South}}