CNN —A decade-long survey of the night sky has revealed a mysterious new type of star astronomers are referring to as an “old smoker.”These previously hidden stellar objects are aging, giant stars located near the heart of the Milky Way galaxy.
This illustration shows an eruption occurring in the swirling disk of matter around a newborn star.
They help the newborn star in the middle to grow, but make it harder for planets to form.
Infrared images show a red giant star, located 30,000 light years away near the center of the Milky Way.
Understanding how the old smokers release elements into space could change the way astronomers think about the way such elements are distributed across the universe.
Persons:
Philip Lucas, Lucas, ”, Zhen Guo, Fondecyt, Guo, ” Guo, ” Lucas, Dante Minniti
Organizations:
CNN, Royal Astronomical Society, Astronomers, Survey, Cerro Paranal Observatory, Southern, University of Hertfordshire, University of Valparaiso, University of Hertfordshire Red, NASA, Andrés Bello University
Locations:
Chilean Andes, Cerro, Chile