For the first time, a dying star outside our galaxy has been photographed.
For the first time in the history of astronomy, a detailed image of a star outside our galaxy has been captured. The photo taken by experts at the European Southern Observatory (ESO) shows a distant celestial body, WOH G64, located in a dwarf galaxy called the Large Magellanic Cloud, about 160,000 light-years away. WOH G64 belongs to the red giant category and is considered one of the largest stars in its galaxy. Its diameter is 2000 times that of the Sun, which is an amazing size in itself, but due to its distance it was extremely difficult to observe in detail. Dr. According to Keiichi Ohnaka, the leader of the research, it is like trying to observe an astronaut walking on the moon from Earth.
During the observation, the researchers discovered an interesting, egg-shaped formation around the star, which they named “puppet”. This structure of gas and dust likely formed from the outer layers shed by the star in recent decades.
Dr. According to Ohnaka, the pupa is of special significance: it is the first time scientists have detected such clear signs of a dying star. The puppet may indicate that WOH G64 will soon go supernova, that is, it will be destroyed in a huge explosion.
Although supernova explosions have been documented many times before, scientists have never seen a star that so clearly predicted its demise. The observation of WOH G64 is therefore not only significant from the point of view of understanding the celestial body, but also enriches our knowledge of the life cycle of stars and the history of supernova explosions. This breakthrough is another proof that modern astronomical technologies can continuously expand our knowledge of the universe. Studying WOH G64 and its dying state may lead to more exciting results in the near future.
Source: www.pcwplus.hu