The Segnao Starburst covers an area of some 1,000 x 2,000 x 500ly and is only in its exploration infancy. The region seems to have a much higher rate of star birth than other areas, even compared to its relative vicinity to the galactic bulge and its core density. It is located between three prominent nebulae (Leviathan, Veil of Inanna, Flaming Torch) and is also dotted by supernova remnants and many black holes and neutron stars. The area has brought forth at least three distinct superclusters of primarily massive young stars of O and B types as well as numerous T Tauri Associations and quite a few 'pockets' with a high number of neutron stars, black holes and the occasional Wolf-Rayet star. It is an explorer's heaven.

As concerns its origins it is thought that the Segnao Starburst lies at a 'hotspot' (the Orio-Perseian Conflux) of at least two of the galaxy's density waves that eventually evolve into the Orion-Cygnus and the Perseus spiral arm. The region thus should have an overabundancy of mass, held in numerous gigantic molecular clouds. The starburst thus may have resulted from a series of supernovae jets blasting through the area that lead to a massive collapse of the Segnao giant molecular cloud. The area holds enough stellar corpses, some of which are in excess of 50+ solar masses, that would support this theory. The collapse of the cloud complex would have incited star formation at various spots at approximately the same time. The sheer output of young stars in this area is just staggering. Link