The Gould Belt is a partial ring of stars about 3000 light years across, tilted toward the galactic plane by about 16 to 20 degrees. It contains many O- and B-type stars, and may represent the local spiral arm of which the Sun is a member -- about 325 light years from its center. It is thought to be from 30 to 50 million years old, and of unknown origin. It is named for Benjamin Gould, who identified it in 1879. 1 2 3
See also
References
- ^ [1987] in Sir Patrick Moore: Astronomy Encyclopædia, Revised (in English), Great Britain: Philip's, pg. 164.
- ^ "The Gould Belt" (HTML) (in English). The GAIA Study Report. Retrieved on 2006-07-18.
- ^ "Gould Belt" (HTML) (in English). The Encyclopedia of Astrobiology Astronomy and Spaceflight. Retrieved on 2006-07-18.
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