Shana Kennedy, Alexis McCool, Jennifer Butchart, Rachele Siegel (from left) and teacher Tim Spuck are excited about their findings using the Spitzer Space Telescope.

Four Oil City High School students traveled to the Spitzer Science Center in Pasadena, Calif., where they discovered a young, sun-like star in the Milky Way galaxy.

Using the Spitzer Space Telescope, Jennifer Butchart, Shana Kennedy, Alexis McCool, Rachele Siegel and science teacher Tim Spuck joined colleagues from across the U.S. in a joint research project to study two dark nebulae, Lynds 425 and Lynds 981, for evidence of potential star formation.

The sun-like star, which is in its earliest stages of development, was discovered as the team observed Lynds Cloud 425. An infrared array camera on the telescope was instrumental in helping identify the star.

Spuck said that while this preliminary discovery in Lynds 425 is exciting, it is the tip of the iceberg for the Oil City students. Work is now beginning to confirm the findings and determine if other objects in infrared images are also young stellar objects, Spuck said.

In addition, as part of the their research using the Spitzer Telescope, the team will be observing Lynds Cloud 981 later this summer for more evidence of star formation.

Spuck said "the new research project is off to a great start, and the Oil City students were outstanding in their recent work at the Spitzer Science Center. As with any scientific investigation, this is only the beginning. We've just now started to look at the data, and we have some interesting preliminary findings, but now comes the hard part; confirming those results and presenting them to the professional scientific community."

The students were optimistic and upbeat.

"Even though the work was oftentimes intense and required a lot of patience, the "A-ha!" moments made the whole experience worthwhile. Essentially, Pasadena was enlightening both scientifically as well as culturally," Siegel said.

Butchart said that "being able to participate in this type of project is outstanding. I know I would never have had this opportunity anywhere else. Now I have a pretty good idea at what I want to do with my life."

"At first I wasn't sure if I could handle a project like this, but I'm so glad I decided to join the team," Kennedy said. "It has certainly been challenging, but the knowledge and experience I've gained, and the opportunity to work with actual astronomers made it completely worth it."

McCool called the event "one of the best experiences I have ever had the chance to be a part of. I not only got to work with some of the best and the brightest, but I was also given the opportunity to learn and do work that was incredibly challenging as well as interesting. I will never forget it."

The project was made possible by support from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope Research Program for teachers and students.

The students have to complete the data analysis process in the fall and prepare a summary of their findings to be presented at the American Astronomical Society meeting in Long Beach, Calif., in January.

"There is a ton of work to do before we get to that point, but I'm really confident in these four girls," Spuck said. "They are a dynamic group that knows how to get the job done, and they are willing to put forth the time and energy to do it. I'm looking forward to working with them throughout the rest of this summer and the upcoming school year."