Astronomers have detected X-ray flares from a very young star using NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, providing new insights into the earliest days of stars like the Sun. This finding resets the timeline for when stars begin blasting high-energy radiation into space, which may help answer some questions about our Sun’s earliest days.
New Insights into Stellar Evolution
The young star in question, HOPS 383, is located about 1,400 light years from Earth and is in the earliest phase of stellar evolution, known as a protostar. The X-ray flare detected from HOPS 383 is significant because it suggests that stars like the Sun start producing high-energy radiation earlier than previously thought.
Implications for Understanding the Sun’s Origins
This discovery may have important implications for understanding the Sun’s earliest days and the environment in which it formed. The high-energy radiation from these young stars can impact the formation of planetary systems, including our own.