Mysterious ‘Old Smokers’ Found at the Heart of the Milky Way: Giant Elderly Stars Emitting Solar System-Sized Clouds
In a groundbreaking discovery, astronomers have stumbled upon a group of giant elderly stars at the center of our Milky Way galaxy. These peculiar stars, aptly named “old smokers,” have been found to emit massive clouds of dust and gas, comparable in size to our entire solar system. The revelation came about during a decade-long survey of the night sky, where nearly a billion stars were monitored in infrared light.
The team of researchers, led by Professor Philip Lucas from the University of Hertfordshire, initially embarked on their mission to capture the elusive sight of newborn stars, known as protostars, undergoing a remarkable phase of rapid growth. These young stars exhibit a surge in luminosity as they accumulate mass by consuming the surrounding star-forming gas. However, amidst their pursuit of these protostars, the astronomers made an unexpected and fascinating observation.
As they delved deeper into their analysis, the scientists stumbled upon another group of stars near the heart of our galaxy. These stars, classified as red giants, displayed an intriguing behavior that defied conventional understanding. Upon closer examination using the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope, it was determined that seven of these red giants were an entirely new type of star, now known as “old smokers.”
Prof. Lucas explained that these old smokers had remained inconspicuous for many years, almost fading into invisibility, before suddenly releasing colossal columns of smoke-like material. The release of these solar system-sized clouds from the stars was an unprecedented phenomenon. “It’s a new type of star, and they all seem to be clustered in the same part of the sky, very close to the center of our Milky Way galaxy,” Prof. Lucas remarked.
The team believes that convection currents and instabilities within these stars trigger the release of these enormous smoke-like columns. Prof. Lucas further elaborated, “Our guess is that these are puffs of dust in one direction, possibly from one patch on the surface of the star.” These findings have far-reaching implications, as the material released by dying stars into interstellar space plays a crucial role in seeding the next generation of stars.
The discovery of these old smokers holds significant importance in understanding the distribution of heavy elements in the nuclear disc and metal-rich regions of other galaxies. Prof. Lucas emphasized, “The spread of heavy elements in the nuclear disc and metal-rich regions of other galaxies could be influenced by the presence of stars that throw off matter.”
The groundbreaking findings have been published in the prestigious Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, marking a significant milestone in our understanding of stellar evolution and the intricate processes occurring within our own galaxy.
As astronomers continue to unravel the mysteries of the universe, discoveries like these remind us of the vastness and complexity that lies beyond our planet. The old smokers at the heart of the Milky Way serve as a testament to the wonders that await us in the depths of space, urging us to delve deeper into the unknown and expand our knowledge of the cosmos.
