They've changed in brightness within a 15-year period - an incredibly short timespan in astronomical terms. The bright beams of light radiating outwards from CW Leonis are one of the star's most intriguing features. Detailed Hubble observations of CW Leonis taken over the last two decades also show the expansion of threads of ejected material around the star. The complex inner structure of shells and arcs may be shaped by the star’s magnetic field. This gives astronomers the chance to understand the interplay between the star and its surrounding, turbulent envelope. Complex biological molecules consist of carbon atoms bonded with other common elements in the universe.Īt a distance of 400 light-years from Earth, CW Leonis is the closest carbon star. All known life on Earth is built around the carbon atom. Blasting the carbon back into space provides raw material for the formation of future stars and planets. The carbon, cooked up through nuclear fusion in the star's interior, gives it a carbon-rich atmosphere. They were created from the outer layers of CW Leonis being thrown out into the inky black void. The orange-red "cobwebs" are dusty clouds of sooty carbon engulfing the dying star. In reality, it's a look at the red giant star CW Leonis as photographed by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope - just in time for celebrating Halloween with creepy celestial sights. Four Successful Women Behind the Hubble Space Telescope's AchievementsĪ hypnotizing vortex? A peek into a witch's cauldron? A giant space-spider web?.Characterizing Planets Around Other Stars.Measuring the Universe's Expansion Rate.
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