"Astronomers Uncover 'Old Smokers': Giant Ancient Stars Revealed in Milky Way"

Astronomers have discovered a new type of star, dubbed "old smokers," near the center of the Milky Way galaxy. These aging, giant stars remain inactive for decades before emitting clouds of smoke and dust, potentially playing a role in distributing elements across the universe. The discovery was made during a decade-long survey involving monitoring nearly a billion stars in infrared light, revealing not only the old smokers but also newborn stars and unusual changes in luminosity among red giant stars. This unexpected finding could have wider significance for understanding the spread of heavy elements in the Milky Way's nuclear disc and other galaxies.