Unprecedented close-up of dying star outside Milky Way captured
Astronomers from the European Southern Observatory in Chile have captured a unique image of the star WOH G64, located in the Large Magellanic Cloud, about 160,000 light-years from Earth. According to RMF24, this is the first such detailed image of a star beyond our galaxy.
9:13 PM EST, November 21, 2024
An international team of astronomers, using advanced equipment from the European Southern Observatory in Chile, has published the first close-up of a dying star outside the Milky Way.
The star WOH G64, situated in the Large Magellanic Cloud, was captured thanks to the GRAVITY instrument of the Very Large Telescope Interferometer. Observations allowed astronomers to see how the star is ejecting gas and dust in the final stages of its life, providing valuable information about the processes occurring in dying stars.
WOH G64, also known as the "stellar Behemoth," is a red supergiant almost 2,000 times larger than the Sun. Scientists have been studying this extraordinary star for quite some time.
The star is slowly dying
The latest images reveal that in the past decade, the star has become dimmer, suggesting it is in an advanced stage of its evolution. It's a rare opportunity to observe the transformation process of a star, which could soon end its existence in a supernova explosion.
According to RMF24, new observations have revealed that the star is surrounded by an egg-shaped cocoon of gas and dust, which surprised researchers. This cocoon might result from the intense ejection of material before the star's final explosion. Such phenomena are extremely rare and represent a significant point in the study of the life and death of massive stars.
In the future, thanks to planned telescope upgrades, including the GRAVITY+ instrument, astronomers will be able to conduct even more precise studies of this remarkable star to better understand the mechanisms of its evolution and prepare for its spectacular end.
