A team of astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope captured images of the hourglass-shaped nebula surrounding the R Aquarius star system in the constellation of the same name. It contains one of the most turbulent stars in our galaxy. The research was published in the official gazette website orbital observatory
The R Aquarius system is located 710 light-years from Earth. It consists of a white dwarf (burning stellar core) and a red giant, whose size is 400 times larger than the Sun.
When a white dwarf approaches a red giant, material from the companion star is deposited on its surface. This causes a thermonuclear reaction that causes the dying star to explode like a giant hydrogen bomb.
As a result, bright streams of gas are released into space, moving at a speed of over 1.6 million km per hour. They will move from the source to a distance of 400 billion kilometers, which is 24 times the diameter of the Solar System.
Hubble images show that the star’s material is woven into a spiral structure that is twisted by the energy of the explosion and the influence of strong magnetic fields.
The next eruption of the “stellar volcano” in R Aquarius will not occur until the 2470s, astronomers say.
Previous scientists recorded A rare super-luminous star explosion in a nearby galaxy.
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Source: Gazeta
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