In a new study, astronomers report the first detection of X-rays from a Sun-like star in the earliest phase of its evolution. This discovery may help scientists explore the earliest days of our Solar System and rewrite cosmic history.
The protostar may provide a snapshot into our young Solar System
©ALMA
In 2017 the Chandra X-ray Observatory detected an X-ray flare coming from the very young star HOPS 383, which is the same type of star as our Sun. The star, known as a ‘protostar’ because it’s in the earliest phase of star evolution, lies about 1,400 light years away from Earth and will grow to have about half the mass of our Sun.