Astrophysicists have discovered strange stars in the central region of the galaxy. Red giants at the end of their lives, emitting clouds of dust from time to time. However, these stars of a new breed, dubbed “old smokers,” still remain very mysterious.
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A few days ago, astrophysicists discovered a new type of star with very strange behavior. These old ladies lie at the heart of our galaxy and are affectionately known as “the old smokers.” And for good reason: they seem to breathe out clouds of dust on a regular basis. A behavior that has never before been observed in such red giants.
Old stars that disappear and then reappear
The observation was carried out thanks to the VistaVista telescope in the Chilean Andes. Researchers originally looked for young stars. In 10 years, 32 protostars were discovered until something surprising happened in the field of observation. Some old stars in the background, in a central region of the galaxy, have suddenly almost disappeared. They reappeared a few years later as if nothing had happened.
Clouds of dust
Scientists have only one possible explanation: These ancient stars produce a cloud of dust from time to time that temporarily obscures them. However, the cause of this mechanism remains unknown, as does the fact that such behavior has not yet been observed in another region of the galaxy. However, these sudden ejections of matter could play a role in the dispersal of heavy elements in the interstellar medium, which are present in large quantities in this central zone of the Milky Way.
So far, 21 “old smokers” have been discovered, but researchers suspect there are many more. These results were published in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.