ALMA spots metamorphosing aged star
Thursday, March 5, 2020 - 19:30
in Astronomy & Space
An international team of astronomers has captured the very moment when an old star first starts to alter its environment. The star has ejected high-speed bipolar gas jets which are now colliding with the surrounding material; the age of the observed jet is estimated to be less than 60 years. These features help scientists understand how the complex shapes of planetary nebulae are formed.