Astronomers have discovered a new type of star, dubbed "old smokers," near the center of the Milky Way galaxy. These aging, giant stars remain inactive for decades before emitting clouds of smoke and dust, potentially influencing the distribution of elements across the universe. The discovery was made during a decade-long survey involving the monitoring of nearly a billion stars in infrared light, leading to the identification of these previously hidden stellar objects. Further research is needed to understand the process behind the release of dense smoke and its impact on the spread of heavy elements in the galaxy.
Astronomers have discovered a new type of star, dubbed "old smokers," near the center of the Milky Way galaxy. These aging, giant stars remain inactive for decades before emitting clouds of smoke and dust, potentially playing a role in distributing elements across the universe. The discovery was made during a decade-long survey involving monitoring nearly a billion stars in infrared light, revealing not only the old smokers but also newborn stars and unusual changes in luminosity among red giant stars. This unexpected finding could have wider significance for understanding the spread of heavy elements in the Milky Way's nuclear disc and other galaxies.
Astronomers have discovered a new type of star, dubbed "old smokers," near the center of the Milky Way galaxy. These aging, giant stars remain inactive for decades before emitting clouds of smoke and dust, potentially influencing the distribution of elements across the universe. The discovery was made during a decade-long survey involving the monitoring of nearly a billion stars in infrared light, leading to the identification of these previously hidden stellar objects. Further research is needed to understand the process behind the release of dense smoke and its impact on the spread of heavy elements in the galaxy.
Astronomers have discovered new types of stars in the Milky Way, including "old smokers" and erupting protostars, through a decade-long infrared survey. These findings challenge existing theories on stellar life cycles and element distribution in space. The discovery of elderly giant stars that periodically emit smoke and undergo outbursts provides new insights into stellar evolution and the formation of new solar systems. This groundbreaking research was conducted using advanced telescopes and could potentially change our understanding of how elements are distributed across space.
