00:03The Milky Way is our home, and like many other galaxies, it's a veritable star factory.
00:08But according to new research soon to be published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics, new
00:12evidence suggests it's a far more active manufacturer than we previously thought.
00:16When stars enter existence, coming together as interstellar dust and debris accrete and
00:21collapse into one of these burning giants, they emit tons of energy.
00:24As that energy is sent out into space, byproducts of the birth are carried out with them, including
00:28elements.
00:29One of those elements we know of is called Aluminum 26, which tends to decay extremely
00:33quickly, meaning it's a great marker not only for where stars have formed, but also
00:37when.
00:38Aluminum 26 produces gamma rays as it decays, and by recording those figures, astronomers
00:43now believe they have a better idea of just how much star birthing is occurring in the
00:47Milky Way.
00:47And experts say our galaxy is actually producing stellar bodies at a rate of 4 to 8 times our
00:52sun's mass every year.
00:53That's twice as much as previously believed, which the paper outlines comes to around 55
00:58stars every Earth year.
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