Cep OB3b

A massive young star cluster, CepOB3b is similar in some ways to the famous cluster found in the Orion Nebula. Its massive, hot stars have blown out cavities in the gaseous cloud with their intense ultraviolet radiation which mercilessly destroys everything in its path.

Studies of the cluster have shown stars have formed during a wide range of time. The total number of young stars in the cluster is as high as 3,000. Infrared observations of the stars show about 1,000 stars that are surrounded by disks of gas and dust from which solar systems may form. As the stars age, the disks disappear as the dust and gas get converted into planets or are dispersed into space.

Although the stars in Cep OB3b are thought to be about three million years old, in some parts of the cluster most of the stars had lost their disks, suggesting that the stars in those parts were older. This suggests that the cluster is surrounded by older stars, potential relics of previous clusters that have since expanded and dispersed.