Curious spiral spotted by ALMA around red giant star R Sculptoris
Observations using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) have revealed an unexpected spiral structure in the material around the old star R Sculptoris. This feature has never been seen before and is probably caused by a hidden companion star orbiting the star. This slice through the new ALMA data reveals the shell around the star, which shows up as the outer circular ring, as well as a very clear spiral structure in the inner material.
Credit: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)/M. Maercker et al.
| Technical Details | |
|---|---|
| Telescope | Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array |
| Band | ALMA Band 7 |
| Center | RA: 1:26:58.09, Dec: 32:32:35.4 |
| Field of View | 0.8 x 0.5 arcminutes |
