Orion Nebula, Pleiades, Hyades star clusters share common cosmic origin
Scientists have found that the Orion Nebula Cluster, Pleiades, and Hyades—three well-known star clusters—might actually share a common cosmic origin.
Using computer simulations, researchers from Iran's IASBS and Germany's University of Bonn traced their evolution across 800 million years.
Stellar siblings can help us understand how stars evolve
The Orion Nebula Cluster is just 2.5 million years old and full of young stars; Pleiades is about 100 million years old, while Hyades clocks in at around 700 million.
The research team discovered these clusters could be linked like stages of life—Orion evolving into Pleiades, then into Hyades.
As Dr. Akram Hasani Zonoozi put it, understanding how stars interact with galactic forces helps us figure out how these cosmic families grow up over time—and could help us study other star groups too.