NASA released this Wednesday (12) an image of at least 17 dust rings created from a pair of rare stars. The phenomenon was captured by the James Webb Space Telescope. From a distance, they resemble the shape of a human fingerprint.
The agency said the pair of stars responsible for forming the rings is known as Wolf-Rayet 140 and that they are just over 5,000 light-years from Earth.
“Each ring was created when the two stars approached each other and their stellar winds (streams of gas that blow through space) met, compressing the gas and forming dust,” explains the NASA note.
Also according to the text, the orbits of the stars bring them together once every eight years. The dust rings would then work like those on a tree trunk, helping to mark the passage of time.
The visualization of the phenomenon was possible thanks to the new technologies present in James Webb. The telescope can capture infrared light, invisible to the human eye.
In addition, the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) can detect longer infrared lengths. It was developed in partnership with the European Space Agency.
Ryan Lau, an astronomer at NSF’s NOIRLab and lead author of a new study on the system, published today in the journal Nature Astronomy, said the new images show progress with James Webb.
“The image also illustrates how sensitive this telescope is. Before, we could only see two dust rings using ground-based telescopes. Now we see at least 17 of them,” he said, adding that there could be more rings, which are still invisible to current technology.
How are dust rings formed?
The burning of Wolf-Rayet stars generates powerful winds, which push gas into space.
They eject, in addition to hydrogen, more complex elements, normally found deep inside a star, such as carbon. The heavy elements cool as they travel into space and are compressed when the winds from both stars meet.
When these celestial bodies approach at a distance similar to Earth and the Sun and its winds collide, the gas is under enough pressure to form dust.
According to the researchers, other Wolf-Rayet systems form the phenomenon, but none are known to make rings like Wolf-Rayet 140. The difference, in this case, is that the orbit of these stars, specifically, is elongated, not circular.
The type stars can play an important role in the formation of other stars and planets, because when a celestial body of this type “cleans an area”, the swept material can accumulate in the surroundings and become dense enough for this process. According to NASA, there is evidence that the Sun formed in a similar scenario.
Astronomers estimate that there may be several thousand Wolf-Rayet stars in our galaxy. So far, 600 have been discovered.
Using data from MIRI’s Medium Resolution Spectroscopy mode, the new study provides the best evidence yet that Wolf-Rayet stars produce carbon-rich dust molecules. Furthermore, the preservation of dust layers indicates that this dust can survive in the hostile environment between stars, going on to provide material for future stars and planets.
*with information from NASA
(published by Tiago Tortella, from CNN )
Source: CNN Brasil
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
