The Three Hundred Collaboration
The impressive gas bubble is the largest structure of the genre ever observed on the Milky Way. It is around the supergent star DFK 52.
A team of Swedish astronomers discovered a impressive gas bubble and dust expanding around a red supergent star, the Greater structure of the genre ever observed on the Milky Way.
Reveals that the star DFK 52 will have expelled a colossal amount of matter about 4,000 years ago, in an event still inexplicable For scientists.
Red supergigant stars, such as betelgeuse and antares, are rare and extremely bright. They represent the final phase of the life of stars much more massive than the sun and play a crucial role in the formation of new stars by enriching the interstellar space with heavy elements. DFK 52 is considered almost a twin of betelgeuse, but with a surprising particularity: it is surrounded by a gigantic gas and dust bubble.
The observations were made with the Alma Radiotelescope in Chile.
Astronomers have found that the bubble extends for 1.4 light years-thousands of times larger than our solar system-and contains as much matter as the mass of the sun.
“We stayed surprised with what soul showed us. It is a star similar to Betelgeuse, but wrapped in a wide and disorganized bubble of material, ”explained Mark Siebert, the main researcher of the study. If the star were at a distance from Betelgeuse, the bubble would occupy a third of full moon width in the sky.
The measurements revealed that the bubble is expand, Consequence of an explosion that expelled part of the external layers of the star. “The bubble material was part of the star. It was ejected in a dramatic event about four thousand years ago. In cosmic terms, it was yesterday,” said Elvire de Beck, the team’s astronoma, quoted in.
What intrigue Scientists is like DFK 52 got expel so much material without turning a supernova. One hypothesis is the existence of a companion star, yet to find out, that it may have helped expulsion from the matter.
Supergigants like DFK 52 are approaching the end of their lives and are candidates for future supernoves. “We are planning new observations to better understand what is going on and evaluate if this could be the next supernova of the Milky Way. If it is typical, it can explode within the next million years,” said of Beck.
