The first close-up photograph of a star outside the Milky Way has been taken by astronomers.
The WOH G64 star is 160,000 light years from Earth and the new image shows it in the last stages before becoming a supernova.
“For the first time, we have succeeded in taking a zoomed-in image of a dying star in a galaxy outside our own Milky Way,” said astrophysicist and lead author Keiichi Ohnaka.
The photograph shows a bright oval at the centre and a dusty cocoon shrouding the star. The fainter elliptical ring seen around it could be the inner rim of a dusty torus but the team behind the work published in Astronomy and Astrophysics on Thursday said more observations were needed to confirm that.
“We discovered an egg-shaped cocoon closely surrounding the star,” said Prof Ohnaka of Universidad Andres Bello in Chile. "We are excited because this may be related to the drastic ejection of material from the dying star before a supernova explosion."
The team believes the cocoon’s egg shape could be explained by either the star emitting gas or the influence of an as-yet undiscovered companion star.
The star is part of the Large Magellanic Cloud, one of the small galaxies that orbits the Milky Way.
It was photographed by the European Southern Observatory’s so-called very large telescope interferometer and the new observations reveal a star puffing out gas and dust.
Astronomers have taken more than 20 close-up images of stars inside the Milky Way but this was a step further in complexity and the team had to wait until the technology was available. In 2005 and again in 2007, the team had used telescopes in the Atacama Desert, Chile to learn about the star but a photograph was not possible until a new imaging system called Gravity was developed.
“This star is one of the most extreme of its kind and any drastic change may bring it closer to an explosive end,” said co-author Jacco van Loon, from the Keele University in the UK.
In the final life stages, "red supergiant" stars such as the one photographed shed outer layers of gas and dust in a process that can last thousands of years.
Astronomers have known about this star for decades and called it the "behemoth star". With a size about 2,000 times that of the Sun, WOH G64 is classified as a red supergiant.
ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 380hp at 5,800rpm
Torque: 530Nm at 1,300-4,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Price: From Dh299,000 ($81,415)
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In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
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Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
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Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 268hp at 5,600rpm
Torque: 380Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: CVT auto
Fuel consumption: 9.5L/100km
On sale: now
Price: from Dh195,000
Abu Dhabi GP schedule
Friday: First practice - 1pm; Second practice - 5pm
Saturday: Final practice - 2pm; Qualifying - 5pm
Sunday: Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps) - 5.10pm
The biog
Favourite books: 'Ruth Bader Ginsburg: A Life' by Jane D. Mathews and ‘The Moment of Lift’ by Melinda Gates
Favourite travel destination: Greece, a blend of ancient history and captivating nature. It always has given me a sense of joy, endless possibilities, positive energy and wonderful people that make you feel at home.
Favourite pastime: travelling and experiencing different cultures across the globe.
Favourite quote: “In the future, there will be no female leaders. There will just be leaders” - Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook.
Favourite Movie: Mona Lisa Smile
Favourite Author: Kahlil Gibran
Favourite Artist: Meryl Streep
