A naukri.com initiative
Earthsky
1w
335
Image Credit: Earthsky
Famous, rare ‘pinwheel death star’ isn’t a threat after all
- The Wolf-Rayet 104 star system consists of two massive stars orbiting each other, producing a giant spiral of hydrocarbon dust, making it a rare pinwheel star system.
- Initial concern was that if one of the stars exploded in a supernova, Earth could be hit by a gamma-ray burst due to the assumed orientation of the stars' poles.
- New research from the Keck Observatory shows that the stars' poles are tilted away from Earth, reducing the likelihood of a gamma-ray burst reaching us.
- Discovered in 1999, Wolf-Rayet 104 is confirmed to be a rare pinwheel star system with two main stars causing the unique dust spiral formation.
- Contrary to fears, the pinwheel death star's orientation indicates that any potential gamma-ray burst is unlikely to be directed towards Earth.
- The spinning pinwheel dust spiral of Wolf-Rayet 104 is perpendicular to the orbits of the stars, posing a new mystery for astronomers to unravel.
- The study by the Keck Observatory assures that the two massive stars in the pinwheel death star system will not pose a gamma-ray burst threat to Earth.
- The unexpected tilt in the dust spiral relative to the stars' orbits has introduced a new puzzle for researchers to investigate further.
- The findings shed light on the dynamics of the Wolf-Rayet 104 system, highlighting the ever-evolving mysteries of the universe.
- This study reassures that Earth is safe from a potential gamma-ray burst from the Wolf-Rayet 104 pinwheel death star.
Read Full Article
20 Likes
For uninterrupted reading, download the app