Astronomers have discovered an unusual type of star hidden in the center of the galaxy

Researchers revealed its existence a new kind of starSurname “Old Smoker”is located in the heart of Galaxy, The discovery, the result of a decade of detailed observations of the night sky, expands knowledge about astronomical phenomenon And this element distribution in the universe.

are “old smokers” old giant stars Which, after being dormant for decades, suddenly exploded and became almost invisible before emitting a large amount of material. These events are not only spectacular to watch, but also play an important role enrichment of the interstellar medium With different elements.

Detailed observations of these celestial bodies, which alternate long periods of inactivity with sporadic explosions emitting clouds of smoke and dust, were published in four studies on January 25, 2024. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society,

It was used in research Visible and Infrared Survey Telescopestrategically located Cerro Paranal ObservatoryIn chile andesTo capture the infrared light of these stars invisible to the human eye, thus allowing the discovery of these previously hidden stellar objects.

Precise positioning of the telescope in high mountains and the adoption of observation techniques in the infrared spectrum were key to this discovery. “These stars are like ghosts in a telescope until they decide to reveal themselves, ejecting material into space,” are explained in statements collected by astronomers cnn,

The research underlying these discoveries involved the monitoring of approximately one billion stars, a testament to the scale and ambition of the project. This difficult work allowed astronomers to gather important data on the nature and behavior of aging stars, making an important contribution to our understanding. understanding the universe, “Studying these ‘old smokers’ not only sheds light on their spectral nature, but also provides us with important clues about the processes of star formation and evolution.” Researchers shed light.

In a pioneering effort to find newborn starsscientists are using it Very Large Telescope (VLT) of European Southern Observatory He identified 32 stars in his childhood Increase their brightness up to 300 times, These young stars are also known as protostelesThe galaxies are elusive due to their darkness behind the dense clouds of dust and gas, which has hindered their detection using visible light.

However, the use of infrared light allowed astronomers to penetrate these barriers, revealing objects that would otherwise remain hidden or too faint to see.

team of philip lucasProfessor of Astrophysics at University of Hertfordshire and with the lead author of one of the related studies Dr. Jen Guo, Fondseat Postdoc Fellow In Valparaiso University And the lead author of the two studies monitored millions of stars, focusing on those that experienced notable changes in their brightness.

As Lucas explained, “While two-thirds of the stars were easy to classify, the rest presented major challenges,” leading the team to use more specialized instruments like the VLT to study the stars individually.

In Guo’s words, “Our main objective was to find newborn stars While this is rare, they do experience a major eruption that can last from months to years or even decades. These outbursts occur in a slowly rotating disk of matter that is creating a new Solar systemHelps the star in the center to grow, however hinders the formation of planets due to the instability of the disk.

Of the monitored stars, 222 experienced significant changes in their brightness, indicating flare-like events that increased their brightness by up to 40 times, and in some cases, 300 times, A large percentage of these flares remain active, giving astronomers a unique opportunity to closely observe how these stars evolve over time. According to the team, these observations will help us better understand why the disk becomes unstable and how this process affects its formation. new solar system,