Tag

Red Supergiant

All articles tagged with #red supergiant

space19 hours ago•2 min saved

Betelgeuse Unveiled: ALMA Reveals a Lumpy, Convection-Powered Surface

Astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array have produced one of the most detailed images of Betelgeuse, revealing a bumpy, irregular atmosphere with bright hotspots likely tied to convective motions; comparison with 2015 data shows a hotspot persisting for at least seven years and variations of up to about 6% in the star’s apparent radius, underscoring Betelgeuse’s non-spherical, extended surface as it heads toward its supernova fate.

via BBC Sky at Night Magazine|

#alma #astronomy #betelgeuse

space4 days ago•159 min saved

ALMA captures Betelgeuse’s bubbling surface in unprecedented detail

Using ALMA, scientists captured 2023 images of Betelgeuse, a ~20-solar-mass red supergiant about 600 light-years away, revealing a turbulent, bubbling surface with bright hotspots caused by giant convective flows in its atmosphere; the warmest region in the northeast persists for at least seven years, hinting at long-lived surface structures and possibly a companion star; with atmospheric temperatures around 2,030°C and pockets hotter by about 530°C, these observations help explain mass loss and atmospheric dynamics as Betelgeuse nears its eventual supernova; the study will continue monitoring and is published in Astronomy & Astrophysics (arXiv).

via Space|

#alma #betelgeuse #convection

science3 months ago•2 min saved

Giant Star WOH G64 Flashes Signs of Impending Explosion

Astronomers studying WOH G64, among the universe's largest stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud, report dramatic, rapid changes over decades: its surface temperature has climbed more than 1,000°C and its color shifted from red to yellow, with unusual dimming episodes in 2011 and 2025. Such behavior is unprecedented for a star of this size and may mark the final stages of its life, offering a rare, real-time glimpse into how massive stars end their lives and seed the cosmos with heavy elements.

via BBC Sky at Night Magazine|

#large-magellanic-cloud #massive-stars #red-supergiant

space-and-astronomy4 months ago•24 min saved

Giant Star WOH G64 Shifts Hue, Hinting at Impending Supernova

Astronomers say the star WOH G64 in the Large Magellanic Cloud has transformed from a red supergiant into a yellow hypergiant (a change tied to observations starting in 2014), is shedding its outer layers, and is heating up—signs that it may be nearing its explosive end. At about 1,500 solar radii, it remains one of the universe’s largest stars, is younger than 5 million years, and new research in Nature Astronomy argues the star could be heading toward a supernova in its relatively short life arc.

via ZME Science|

#astronomy #red-supergiant #space

science4 months ago•7 min saved

Giant Star WOH G64 Shifts to Yellow Hypergiant, Foreshadowing a Supernova

Astronomers report that the star WOH G64 in the Large Magellanic Cloud has transitioned from a red supergiant to a yellow hypergiant, with ongoing mass loss and heating—a potential sign it is nearing a supernova. The change may result from interactions with a companion or a pre-supernova wind, representing a short-lived but crucial phase in the evolution of a very massive star.

via SciTechDaily|

#red-supergiant #science #stellar-evolution

science5 months ago•2 min saved

Giant Star Turns Yellow, Hinting at a Possible Supernova

Astronomers monitoring the red supergiant WOH G64 in the Large Magellanic Cloud report a rapid evolution into a yellow hypergiant, with a temperature rise of about 1,000 C and significant shrinking. This rare color and size change may signal an impending supernova, though researchers offer two possible explanations—binary interaction with a companion or a prior eruptive episode—and the star’s exact fate remains uncertain.

via Gizmodo|

#astronomy #binary-star #cosmic-changes

science6 months ago•35 min saved

Gigantic Star WOH G64 Poised for Cosmic Catastrophe

Astronomers say WOH G64, a red supergiant in the Large Magellanic Cloud about 165,000 light-years away and roughly 30 solar masses with a radius over 1,500 suns, is likely transitioning toward a yellow hypergiant after shedding outer layers; this may lead to a spectacular end in a supernova or direct collapse into a black hole, with the fate expected to unfold over hundreds to thousands of years in cosmic time.

via Yahoo|

#large-magellanic-cloud #red-supergiant #science

astronomy6 months ago•55 min saved

Astronomers watch a 1,540-solar-radius star flip from red to yellow, hinting at a possible supernova

Astronomers tracking the star WOH G64 in the Large Magellanic Cloud have observed it change from a red supergiant into a rare yellow hypergiant, a dramatic and unusually slow transformation that could mark the star’s evolution toward a core-collapse supernova or direct black-hole formation. The object, about 28 solar masses and roughly 1,540 times the Sun’s size, may be part of a binary system, with interactions potentially influencing its path to death. While this hints at a possible explosive finale, the final fate remains uncertain and would likely occur on timescales of hundreds to thousands of years rather than within our lifetime; the findings were reported in Nature.

via Space|

#astronomy #large-magellanic-cloud #red-supergiant

science6 months ago•5 min saved

Webb Unmasks Progenitor of Nearby Supernova in NGC 1637

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, combined with archival Hubble data, identified the red supergiant star that exploded as supernova SN 2025pht in the galaxy NGC 1637—Webb’s first published detection of a supernova progenitor. The progenitor appeared unusually red due to surrounding dust, supporting ideas that dusty, massive stars can be missed in pre-explosion imaging. The dust is likely carbon-rich, prompting future searches for similar progenitors, including with the upcoming Roman Space Telescope.

via NASA Science (.gov)|

#dust #ngc-1637 #red-supergiant

space6 months ago•5 min saved

Puzzling Variability of WOH G64 Fuels Debate Over Its Fate

New observations of WOH G64 question earlier claims it briefly became a yellow hypergiant; latest spectra indicate it remains a red supergiant with a hot binary companion, implying observed changes may arise from atmospheric/binary effects rather than imminent supernova, so continued monitoring is essential.

via ScienceAlert|

#binary-companion #red-supergiant #space

space6 months ago•4 min saved

Giant Red Star Defies Death, Hints at Hidden Companion

New SALT spectroscopy of the star WOH G64 in the Large Magellanic Cloud shows it is still a red supergiant, not dying to become a yellow hypergiant as previously thought. Titanium oxide in its atmosphere contradicts earlier interpretations based on dimming and dust, and a possible close companion could be distorting the star’s atmosphere and cocoon, reshaping ideas about its evolution.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#binary-companion #large-magellanic-cloud #red-supergiant

science6 months ago•11 min saved

Astronomers spot a red supergiant's rapid changes hinting at a secret stellar companion

Astronomers monitoring WOH G64, a red supergiant in the Large Magellanic Cloud, report real-time changes: the star has dimmed and appears warmer, while its surroundings show more dust and ionized gas. New SALT observations hint at a hotter, smaller companion heating gas near the star and influencing its wind, suggesting binary interaction. If this relationship persists, the star’s visible characteristics could continue to shift, offering a rare live view of the final stages in a massive star’s life.

via The Conversation|

#astronomy #dust #large-magellanic-cloud

space6 months ago•61 min saved

Phoenix Rising: Behemoth Star WOH G64 Remains a Red Supergiant

New spectroscopic analysis of the behemoth star WOH G64 in the Large Magellanic Cloud finds it remains a red supergiant and not a yellow hypergiant or imminent supernova as previously thought. Titanium oxide detected in its atmosphere and a possible binary companion suggest gas is being redistributed rather than the star dying soon, painting a picture of a phoenix-like resurgence rather than an explosive end.

via Live Science|

#astronomy #binary-star #red-supergiant

astronomy7 months ago•4 min saved

Hidden Twin Reshapes the Fate of a LMC Red Supergiant

Astronomers reinterpreted the puzzling behavior of the red supergiant WOH G64 in the Large Magellanic Cloud, finding it is not rapidly dying but part of a binary system with a hotter, smaller companion that interacts with the red star’s extended atmosphere. New optical spectra from SALT show strong titanium oxide bands indicating a cool atmosphere, contradicting claims it was turning into a yellow hypergiant. The strange emissions and the recent dust cloud are explained by material being pulled from the red giant and forming structures around the companion, not by an imminent collapse. The result is a dramatic reminder that binary interactions can mimic signs of stellar death while the star’s evolution continues, with a future supernova still possible but not imminent.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#astronomy #binary-star #large-magellanic-cloud

space7 months ago•76 min saved

JWST finds a red supergiant survivor after a stellar merger

Using infrared observations from the James Webb Space Telescope (with prior Hubble and Spitzer data), researchers revisited nine luminous red novae and found that, in the cases of AT 2011kp and AT 1997bs, the merger left behind a massive, cool, red supergiant–like star rather than a hotter compact remnant. The event expelled a vast dust shell—carbon-rich graphite dust—amounting to about 300 Earth masses, potentially seeding the cosmos with materials for life. The findings, to be published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, suggest stellar mergers can produce long-lived massive stars and contribute significantly to interstellar dust and chemical evolution.

via Space|

#interstellar-dust #james-webb-space-telescope #luminous-red-nova