Astronomers have long wondered what happens to the dying bodies of stars somewhat bigger than the sun.
Objects roughly one-third to two-thirds the size of the sun blow out their mass into beautifully glowing shells of gas and dust called planetary nebulae.
But no similar structures have been found for stars about one to eight times the size of the sun.
Now a team of Australian and U.S. scientists think they have an answer: The bigger stars create planetary nebulae that radiate strongly in radio waves, as opposed to visible light. They call these new objects "super planetary nebulae."
Objects roughly one-third to two-thirds the size of the sun blow out their mass into beautifully glowing shells of gas and dust called planetary nebulae.
But no similar structures have been found for stars about one to eight times the size of the sun.
Now a team of Australian and U.S. scientists think they have an answer: The bigger stars create planetary nebulae that radiate strongly in radio waves, as opposed to visible light. They call these new objects "super planetary nebulae."
Full story by Irene Klotz on Discovery News
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