New Research May Have , Solved Mystery Surrounding , 'Ghost' Stars.
Scientists say that they may be starting to unravel the mystery surrounding "ghost" stars which align in beautiful structures near the center of our Milky Way Galaxy.
'The Independent' reports that the unusual alignment of planetary nebulae was first discovered ten years ago.
Since its discovery, the nature of the "ghost" stars has remained a mystery.
Planetary nebulae are large clouds of gas that are ejected from stars when they come to their explosive end.
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Researchers studied a range of planetary nebulae near the center of the Milky Way, some of which had assembled themselves into beautiful shapes like butterflies or hourglasses.
According to the new study, scientists believe the alignments happen when these stellar ghosts have a companion star.
This finding pushes us closer to understanding the cause for this mysterious alignment, Albert Zijlstra, co-author and professor in astrophysics at The University of Manchester, via 'The Independent'.
Planetary nebulae offer us a window into the heart of our galaxy and this insight deepens our understanding of the dynamics and evolution of the Milky Way’s bulge region, Albert Zijlstra, co-author and professor in astrophysics at The University of Manchester, via 'The Independent'.
The significance in this research lies in the fact that we now know that the alignment is observed in this very specific subset of planetary nebulae, Albert Zijlstra, co-author and professor in astrophysics at The University of Manchester, via 'The Independent'.
The team's findings were published in the 'Astrophysical Journal Letters.'
