A unique spiral structure encircling a dying star has been captured by scientists for the first time.
The spectacular picture is one of the first to come from the world’s most expensive ground-based telescope which produces images ten times sharper than Hubble.
It was built to study molecular clouds like the one around the red giant R Sculptoris which is 780 light years from Earth.
At 16,000ft up in the Chilean Andes the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) is also the highest such machine on Earth.
The Atacama desert was chosen for its dryness and clarity.
The feature in the gas around the old star has never been seen before and is probably caused by a hidden companion star orbiting it.
The data reveals the shell around the star - which shows up as the outer circular ring - as well as a very clear spiral structure in the inner material.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2215775/The-unique-spiral-structure-spotted-worlds-expensive-ground-telescope-baffled-scientists-picture.html#ixzz2947rZLeW
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The spectacular picture is one of the first to come from the world’s most expensive ground-based telescope which produces images ten times sharper than Hubble.
It was built to study molecular clouds like the one around the red giant R Sculptoris which is 780 light years from Earth.
The bizarre spiral structure was spotted by the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) telescope, and is believed to be a hidden companion star orbiting the star.
WHAT IS IT?
The old red giant star R Sculptoris sits at its centre, ejecting dust and gas every 10,000 to 50,0000 years to form a shell of surrounding material.
Spherical shells have been seen around red giants before, but this kind of spiral is unique.
It is believed is was caused by a previously unseen companion star carving through the material as it orbits.
Spherical shells have been seen around red giants before, but this kind of spiral is unique.
It is believed is was caused by a previously unseen companion star carving through the material as it orbits.
The Atacama desert was chosen for its dryness and clarity.
The feature in the gas around the old star has never been seen before and is probably caused by a hidden companion star orbiting it.
The data reveals the shell around the star - which shows up as the outer circular ring - as well as a very clear spiral structure in the inner material.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2215775/The-unique-spiral-structure-spotted-worlds-expensive-ground-telescope-baffled-scientists-picture.html#ixzz2947rZLeW
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
