“Ghost stars,” or planetary nebulae, are some of the most beautiful objects in the cosmos. Formed when a red giant star burns through its nuclear fuel and sheds its outer layers, the nebulae (which have nothing to do with planets) expand outward in striking patterns. Some of these exhibit strange properties, according to a new paper, which studied 136 nebulae using the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope in Chile.
Many nebulae close to the galactic bulge – the central section of the Milky Way crowded with stars, gas and dust – align with the galactic plane in a manner NASA once referred to as “bowling pins set up in an alley.” Scientists have worked to explain this since a University of Manchester Ph.D. student, Bryan Rees, discovered the strange configurations a decade ago.
When stars die and form planetary nebulae, they leave behind a small stellar remnant called a ...
