And now, it appears, they even burp. The discovery means scientists might have to rethink their theories of star formation, said Harvard astronomer Paul Ho, another member of the team.
Astronomers believe a star forms from a rotating cloud of dust and gas.
The classical theory is that this spinning disc feeds the young star, while two streams of excess matter are ejected from the poles. These fountain-like jets keep the star from spinning so fast that it tears itself apart. This is the first time astronomers have seen excess matter ejected in spherical bubbles instead of in straight jets. The array of 10 receivers has made it possible for astronomers to view objects such as the bubble with finer detail. Astronomers now must find how common such bubbles are during star formation, said William C. Danchi, an astronomer at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., who was not involved in the research.