Dead-star debris returns to the Galaxy, foreshadowing the Sun's distant fate
TL;DR
Astronomers using the new MOTHRA instrument spotted bow-shaped clumps in the Helix Nebula, showing material shed by a dying star being torn apart and reabsorbed into the interstellar medium, a vivid demonstration of stellar debris being recycled into the galaxy to seed future stars—and a reminder that our Sun will undergo a similar fate in about five billion years.
- Scientists find dead star that predicts our sun's future. 'Broken apart and returned to the galaxy' Space
- The MOTHRA Telescope Captured the Faint Aftermath of a Star’s Death The New York Times
- Numerous bow shocks in the outer Helix Nebula Nature
- The Helix Nebula is Hurling Clumps of Gas through Space Sky & Telescope
- MOTHRA Telescope Captures A Cosmic Recycling Link Quantum Zeitgeist
Want the full story? Read the original reporting
Read on Space