Stellar nursery gives birth to quadruplets

Foursome helps test ideas about how stars form

Four star system

STELLAR FOURSOME  A young star is flanked by tendrils of gas (illustrated, left) that will eventually collapse to form a quadruple star system (right).

B. Saxton (NRAO/AUI/NSF)

A young stellar foursome is giving astronomers a rare peek at how stars form.