Astronomers They say that a massive star appears to have mysteriously disappeared from a distant galaxy.
The star is part of the Kinman dwarf galaxy, also known as PHL 293B. The galaxy is about 75 million light years from Earth. It sits in the constellation Aquarius. A constellation is “a group of stars that forms a special shape in the sky, “says the US space agency NASA.
Images of the Kinman dwarf galaxy were captured in the past by a camera connected to NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. But because the galaxy is so far away, researchers have been unable to clearly observe its individual stars.
However, astronomers had identified important “signatures” or signs that the massive star existed. Now they are looking for answers on why these signatures can no longer be seen.
A team of scientists from the European Southern Observatory reported that they had been observing the star with their Very Large Telescope, VLT, for at least 10 years. The observatory, based in Chile, provides astronomical support to European countries.
The team said their observations repeatedly showed evidence that the Kinman dwarf galaxy contained the massive star, estimated to be approximately 2.5 million times brighter than our sun.
Investigators said the evidence suggests the star was “at a late stage in its evolution. “They added that the star was a guy considered to be”unstable. “This means that it could undergo major changes in brightness or lose part of its mass.
The project leader was Andrew Allan, a PhD student in astrophysics at Trinity College Dublin in Ireland. Led a study of the findings, recently published in Monthly notices from the Royal Astronomical Society.
Allan said the researchers wanted to learn more about how massive stars end their lives. The massive object observed in the Kinman dwarf galaxy seemed to be the perfect target.
But when astronomers turned the Very Large Telescope toward the distant galaxy in 2019, they could no longer find any sign of the massive star. “Instead, we were surprised that the star had disappeared,” Allan said in a statement.
Similar stars undergoing major changes generally produce some signatures. So the team tried searching several more times using different computers, but still found no signs of the star.
“It would be very unusual for such a massive star to disappear without producing a brilliant supernova explosion,” said Allan.
NASA describes a supernova as an “extremely bright and super powerful explosion of a star.” A supernova occurs at the end of a star’s life.
Astronomers are now exploring two possibilities. The first is that the star may have become less bright and may be partially blocked by dust. The other possibility is that it collapsed into a black hole without producing a supernova.
If the star collapsed into a black hole, it would be a very unusual ending, the researchers said. “This would be a rare event: Our current understanding of how massive stars die suggests that most of them end their lives in a supernova,” said a statement issued by the European Southern Observatory (ESO).
Trinity professor José Groh, another project leader, said astronomers plan to continue observing the galaxy for signs of the mysterious missing star.
“We will probably have to wait a few years before confirming what fate happened This particular star. We will observe the galaxy again with the Hubble Space Telescope next year, which will provide new tracksGroh said.
ESO also plans to launch observation equipment and expects its extremely large telescope to be operational by 2025.
That telescope must be “capable of solving stars in distant galaxies like Kinman Dwarf, ”the statement said. The new equipment could also help astronomers solve the mysteries of the future.
I’m Bryan Lynn
Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from the European Southern Observatory and Trinity College Dublin and NASA.. Caty Weaver was the editor.
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Words in this story
astronomer – n. a scientist who studies stars and planets
special – adj. used to describe a certain part of something
evolution – n. A gradual process of change and development
unstable – adj. It is likely to change or end suddenly
destination – north. what happens to something, especially something bad
happen – v. happen
track – north. Information that helps you solve a problem or answer questions
resolve – v. to solve or finish a problem or difficulty
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