Astronomers found a heart-shaped cloud around a star. How?
Astronomers just found a heart-shaped cloud of gas and dust around Mira A, a red giant star about 300 light-years away in Cetus. This unique shape formed after the star suddenly ejected material equal to seven Earths.
Mira A is a pulsating (Mira-type) variable star and its brightness varies over time—pretty cool for a star first spotted centuries ago.
How was the discovery made?
Scientists used Chile's Very Large Telescope and the ALMA radio array to spot the cloud.
The inside glows with gas while dust traces its outline, making that heart shape stand out.
Lead researcher Theo Khouri said Mira A "behaves like a lighthouse, illuminating its surroundings unevenly," which honestly sounds kind of magical.
Can we see it from Earth?
You can! The cloud is also interacting with its neighbor, the white dwarf Mira B.