The enigmatic dying gasp of V Hydrae (V Hya) has been seen in extraordinary detail by astronomers researching the Sun. The scientists uncovered six gently growing rings plus 2 hourglass-shaped formations, which were created by the high-velocity ejection of material into the vacuum and were previously unknown.
Credit: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)/S. Dagnello (NRAO/AUI/NSF)
It is roughly 1,300 light-years away from Australia in the constellation Hydra, and it is an asymptotic giant branch (AGB) sun that is abundant in carbon. Astronomers believe more than 90 % of stars having a mass bigger than the Sun become AGB stars once nuclear material is depleted.
As is common for red giants in their last stages, V Hydra was detected losing its atmosphere and, with it, the bulk of its weight. A succession of flowing loops has been seen by experts, really to their astonishment on this occasion. Nobody has ever witnessed the gas expelled from an AGB star spread out in the shape of spreading smoke rings before; this is also the only instance this can be observed.
Over the period of approximately 2,100 years, the 6 circles have extended away from V Hya, contributing materials to and causing the creation of a high-density flaring and twisted disk-like formation surrounding the Sun.
A piece of equipment capable of precisely seeing stuff that is not only extremely far away but also exceedingly challenging to identify using imaging techniques was needed to examine V Hya because of its location and the amount of dust around it.
Researchers are now able to observe these occurrences with the incredible clarity that is required to offer some insights and improve our comprehension of an incident that occurred to the majority of the stars in the Cosmos, thanks to the powers and sensitivity of ALMA (abbreviated form for Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array).
The findings were published in arXiv.
