Jan 27, 2024 at 12:16 am
Astronomers have discovered a new type of star at the center of the Milky Way. It is a variant of a red giant that spews clouds of gas.
Researchers discovered the star species in a study of the starry sky published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. For this they used a telescope that works with infrared radiation. By using infrared, the researchers managed to see stars that are barely visible through other telescopes, due to clouds of dust and gas hanging in front of the stars.
The scientists discovered, among other things, 21 stars that looked like red giants. These are stars that are in the final phase of their life and swell and take on a red color. The stars found have the remarkable property that they were less bright during some periods.
Closer examination shows that this is because the stars spew out gas clouds. Due to the similarity to a cloud puffed out by smokers, scientists have nicknamed the stars “old smokers”.
The stars were located in the innermost part of the Milky Way, where stars are often composed of heavier elements compared to other places in our galaxy. For this reason, scientists say it is easier for small particles to escape from the gas layers on the outside of the red giants. But how exactly this happens is still a mystery to scientists.
“Matter released from old stars plays an important role in the life cycle of elements and helps to form new stars and planets,” says Professor Philiop Lucas, who leads the research team. Researchers believe the discovery of the “ancient smokers” could contribute to knowledge of how elements spread through the Milky Way.
Beeld: Philip Lucas/University of Hertfordshire
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2024-01-26 23:16:53
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