April 27, 2013 U Camelopardalis, a Red Giant Image Credit: ESA/Hubble, NASA and H. Olofsson (Onsala Space Observatory) U Camelopardalis, or U Cam for short, is a bright red giant – a once Sun-like star nearing the end of its life – surrounded by a shell of gas, located about 1,400 light-years away from Earth [continue reading]
ESA’s Herschel space observatory has provided the first images of a dust belt – produced by colliding comets or asteroids – orbiting a sub-giant star known to host a planetary system. Kappa Coronae Borealis, based on Herschel PACS observations at 100 μm. North is up and east is left. The star is in the center of the frame [continue reading]
Astronomers have discovered a totally unexpected spiral structure in space. The strange shape, discovered in gas and dust surrounding the red giant star R Sculptoris, was probably created by a hidden companion star orbiting the star. The research, which appears in the journal Nature this week, gives new insight on how stars like the [continue reading]
Exploding stars called Type 1a supernovae are ideal for measuring cosmic distances because they are bright enough to spot across the Universe and have relatively the same luminosity everywhere. Although astronomers have many theories about the kinds of star systems involved in these explosions (or progenitor systems), no one has ever directly observed one—until [continue reading]
The first evidence of a planet’s destruction by its aging star has been discovered by an international team of astronomers. The evidence indicates that the missing planet was devoured as the star began expanding into a “red giant” — the stellar equivalent of advanced age. An artist’s impression of a red supergiant engulfing a Jupiter-like [continue reading]
Astronomers at The University of Manchester believe they have found the answer to the mystery of a powerful ‘superwind’ which causes the death of stars. Artist’s impression of the dusty wind blown by a red giant star. Credit: Anna Mayall/University of Manchester. Writing in Nature, the team of researchers used new techniques which allowed [continue reading]