Determining the chemical distribution of the galaxy is a tricky business. The ideal method is spectroscopy but since high quality spectroscopy takes bright targets, the number of potential targets is somewhat reduced. Stars seem like logical choices, but due to differential separation during formation, they don’t provide a true description of the interstellar medium. Clouds of gas and dust are the best choice, but must be illuminated by star formation. Another option is to search for newly formed planetary nebulae which are in the process of enriching the interstellar medium.
A new paper does just this, discovering a new planetary nebula in hopes of mapping the chemical abundance of the galaxy.(...)
Read the rest of A Newly Discovered Planetary Nebula Teaches Us About Galactic Composition (289 words)
© jvois for Universe Today, 2011. | Permalink | 8 comments | Add to del.icio.us
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Full story at http://www.universetoday.com/85380/a-newly-discovered-planetary-nebula-teaches-us-about-galactic-composition/
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