Star Formation in the Orion Nebula

by

C. Robert O'Dell
Distinguished Research Professor of Physics & Astronomy
Department of Physics & Astronomy
Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN

21 January 2005
Socialization : 10:15 a.m.
Presentation : 10:30 a.m.

The famous Orion Nebula that graces the January evening sky is associated with the nearest rich region of star formation and our Sun probably formed in a similar region some 5 billion years ago. However, in the Orion Nebula most of the stars formed only a few hundred thousand years ago and the most massive star may only be a few tens of thousands of years old. I will describe how the Hubble Space Telescope has allowed us to learn the details of star formation in a rich cluster and how this influences planet formation.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH:

Professor O'Dell is a Distinguished Research Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Vanderbilt University. He received his PhD from the University of Wisconsin in 1962 and held research and teaching positions at the Hale Observatory, University of California at Berkeley, the University of Chicago, and Rice University where he held the Andrew Hayes Buchanan Chair in Astrophysics. From 1972 to 1982 Professor O'Dell was the Project Scientist for the Hubble Space Telescope, which he now uses in his research.

Questions? - Email the author cro@orion.phy.vanderbilt.edu

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