Pair of Colliding Stars Spill Radioactive Molecules into Space

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Pair of Colliding Stars Spill Radioactive Molecules into Space

Pair of Colliding Stars Spill Radioactive Molecules into Space

A widefield, composite image of CK Vul, the remains of a double-star collision. This impact launched radioactive molecules into space, as seen in the orange double-lobe structure at the center. This is an ALMA image of 27-aluminum monofluoride, but the rare, radioactive isotopic version of AlF resides in the same region. The red, diffuse image is an ALMA image of the more extended dust in the region. The blue is optical hydrogen emission as seen by the Gemini observatory.

Credit: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO), T. Kamiński & M. Hajduk; Gemini, NOAO/AURA/NSF; NRAO/AUI/NSF, B. Saxton

Technical Details
Center	RA: 19:47:38.11, Dec: 27:18:47.84

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Pair of Colliding Stars Spill Radioactive Molecules into Space

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