Astronomers have discovered an extraordinary infrared photo of two dying stars, named Apep, which has been awaited for five long years. The image shows a huge spiral of dust surrounding the stars, resembling a snake eating its own tail.
Apep is one of the most massive star systems in the universe, featuring two Wolf-Rayet stars that violently shed their outer layers before exploding as supernovae. These stars are known for powerful streams of gas blasting out from them, much stronger than the stellar wind from our Sun.
The team used NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to analyze the Apep system in detail. The data revealed three more dust shells zooming farther out, each cooler and fainter than the last, spaced perfectly evenly against a background of swirling dust.
New analysis of the JWST data has shed light on the origins of carbon dust and star deaths. The team found that the stars are twice as far away from Earth than initially thought, making them exceptionally bright. However, this discovery also weakens the theory of slow winds and rapid rotation in these systems.
The study has provided a fascinating insight into the violent death of massive stars and the formation of carbon dust. Understanding these systems can reveal puzzles that would have fascinated ancient mathematicians like Newton and Archimedes.
By analyzing the unique geometry of Apep, scientists can solve complex problems related to star deaths and carbon dust. This discovery showcases the scientific joy of unraveling mysteries in the universe.
Source: https://www.sciencealert.com/jaw-dropping-image-reveals-dying-stars-entangled-like-serpents