Nearby young star clusters

Recent studies using precise data from space astrometry missions have revealed nearby, newly formed star clusters with connected origins. Nonetheless, mapping young clusters across the entire sky back to their natal regions has been hindered by a lack of clusters with precise radial-velocity data.

Here we show that 155 out of 272 (57%) high-quality young clusters within 1 kiloparsec of the Sun arise from three distinct spatial volumes. This conclusion is based on the analysis of data from the third Gaia release and other large-scale spectroscopic surveys. At present, dispersed throughout the solar neighbourhood, their past positions more than 30 million years ago reveal that these families of clusters each formed in one of three compact, massive star-forming complexes.