Scientists have captured the first close-up image of a star beyond our Milky Way galaxy. This star is 160,000 light-years from Earth, residing in another galaxy surrounded by colossal Magellanic Clouds. It is 2000 times larger than our Sun's radius. Previously, it was simply known as 'The Monster,' but it has now been named WOH G64.
This star's galaxy is a dwarf galaxy, a smaller celestial system orbiting ours. To capture its close-up image, the Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) was utilized, located at the European Southern Observatory, which can zoom into the depths of space.
Astrophysicist Kichi Onaka from Andre Bello National University in Chile revealed that they observed a cocoon-like oval cloud surrounding the star. This could indicate the clouds are emerging due to the star's impending demise, suggesting it might be in the process of going supernova.
Source: aajtak
Capturing Images of Stars Beyond the Galaxy is Complex
Imaging or creating visuals of stars beyond our galaxy is a challenging task. A prime example is the Red Giant star Betelgeuse, which is 764 times larger than our Sun's radius and 650 light-years away. Its images show such dim light that scientists struggle to comprehend the changes occurring.
New Techniques Developed to Clear Its Image
WOH G64 is three times larger than Betelgeuse but is 250 times more distant from Earth, making it appear very small and faint. Onaka and his team have been studying this star for years, developing a new technique called GRAVITY to capture images of small and faint objects.
The Star is in Its Final Days
Since 2020, Onaka and his team have been dedicated to creating a clear image of this star. Studies revealed that it is in a stage similar to a flickering lamp before it goes out. Likewise, this star is flickering intensely, emitting light and dust that form clouds around it. These clouds are dangerously radioactive, hot, and extremely bright.
