On February 3, the Hubble Space Telescope, orbiting the Earth, was able to capture a very rare cosmic phenomenon - the death of a star comparable in mass and size to our Sun.
Death bringing life
The dying red giant star is in a transitional phase that will end with the formation of a planetary nebula. The Hubble Telescope has examined the release of a colossal amount of gas and dust from a dying celestial body, which fly out at a staggering speed of more than 620 miles / hour. In the formed cloud, soon under the influence of gravity, new stars, planets and small astronomical bodies can form.
The photographs obtained are especially valuable, because previously astronomers have never been able to observe red giants in their transition phase. Indeed, in just a few thousand years (and this is a very short period of time on the scale of the Universe) the star will completely collapse and turn into a planetary nebula.
Until the death of a star, the gas ejected from it will slow down and take on a specific shape. Over time, new luminaries may appear here, near which the emergence of organic forms of life, as on Earth, will be possible.
Promotional video:
The resulting protoplanetary nebula, called Calabash, is known for its high concentration of sulfur inside it. The nebula is located in the constellation of Poppa, about 5 thousand light-years from Earth.
Oksana Grabenko