"ALMA Telescope Reveals Eccentric Dance of Binary Star System Through Cosmic Chemistry"
Scientists using the ALMA telescope have discovered the intricate orbital dance between a dying red giant star and its sunlike companion in the W Aquilae system. The study, published in Nature Astronomy, reveals a highly elliptical orbit that takes about a millennium to complete, with the companion star shaping the red giant's stellar wind. This finding was made possible by detecting unusual molecular emissions and is supported by hydrodynamical simulations and additional observations from other telescopes. The research not only uncovers the dynamics of the W Aquilae system but also introduces a new method for detecting the hidden companions of other stars nearing the end of their life cycle.
