Tag

Wolf Rayet

All articles tagged with #wolf rayet

astronomy3 hours ago•53 min saved

JWST maps brain-like nebula PMR 1 in a dying star’s last act

The James Webb Space Telescope provides high‑resolution infrared views of PMR 1, the Exposed Cranium Nebula about 5,000 light‑years away in Vela. Webb’s NIRCam and MIRI imaging reveal a brain‑like structure of inner gases surrounded by a thinner hydrogen shell, with a split that may be caused by polar jets from the dying star. The central star’s nature remains uncertain: it was once considered a Wolf–Rayet type, but this is not confirmed, leaving PMR 1’s true identity—possibly a planetary nebula around a sun‑like star or a Wolf–Rayet remnant—open to interpretation.

via Space|

#astronomy #exposed-cranium-nebula #james-webb-space-telescope

astronomy2 years ago•6 min saved

Challenging NASA's prediction of a star's supernova fate.

NASA recently featured Wolf-Rayet star WR 124 as a "future supernova" within the Milky Way, but the fate of this star is uncertain. While stars with over 8 solar masses are fated for a core-collapse supernova, many Wolf-Rayet stars lose too much mass over time, leaving a core that contracts to a white dwarf. Other Wolf-Rayet stars will indeed collapse, but directly into a black hole with no accompanying supernova. With direct collapse and extreme mass loss still possible, WR 124 might not ever go supernova.

via Big Think|

#astronomy #black-hole #stars

science2 years ago•2 min saved

NASA's Webb Telescope captures stunning image of rare dying star on the brink of explosion.

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope captured a rare image of a massive star, called WR 124, in the pre-supernova phase, expelling its outer layers and creating a knotted halo of gas and dust. The star is 30 times the mass of the sun and is located 15,000 light-years away in the constellation Sagittarius. The dust created by dying stars is of great interest to astronomers, and Webb's powerful infrared capabilities could help solve the mystery of the origins of cosmic dust.

via Business Insider|

#cosmic-dust #james-webb-space-telescope #nasa

astronomy2 years ago•2 min saved

NASA's James Webb Telescope Captures Rare Image of Star on Brink of Supernova

The JWST has captured a high-resolution image of a rare Wolf-Rayet star, WR 124, which is nearing the end of its life and will soon explode in a supernova. Wolf-Rayet stars are very hot, very bright, and losing mass at a high rate. The image reveals intricate details of the star's elaborate cloud of ejected material, which could provide important insights into the contribution Wolf-Rayet stars make to the interstellar dust budget and the supernova remnants they leave behind. WR 124 is also one of the fastest runaway stars in the Milky Way, with a speed of 190 kilometers per second.

via ScienceAlert|

#astronomy #infrared #jwst