Record-Breaking 130 Years Of Observations Challenge Stellar Model

Astronomers have for the first time tracked the transformation of a dying star for over a century. The subject in question is the so-called “spirograph” Planetary Nebula IC418, an aged star that is shedding off its outer layers, forming these beautiful patterns. The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to access the full content.

The international team of researchers used observations that started in 1893 to piece together the evolution of this star and how it has been changing for 130 years. They discovered that the nebula’s green light has grown 2.5 times stronger since 1893. The emission is due to oxygen atoms, and it is the same reason why northern and southern lights on Earth are green.

Thanks to this data, researchers learned that the central star