asymptotic giant branch stars tagged posts

Scientists observe Mysterious Death of a Star Emitting Six Rings

A rendering of the star V Hydrae, or V Hya for short. In its death throes, the star has emitted a series of expanding rings that scientists calculated are being formed every few hundred years, said Mark Morris, a UCLA professor of physics and astronomy.

Astrophysicists studying in unprecedented detail a red giant star named V Hydrae — abbreviated as V Hya — have witnessed the star’s mysterious death throes.

Researchers from UCLA and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory discovered that the carbon-rich star has expelled six slowly expanding molecular rings and an hourglass-shaped structure ejecting matter out into space at high speeds, signaling that the star is undergoing rapid evolution as it ends its life in a blaze of glory before shutting down its energy production.

“This is the f...

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