'What-is-this': Experts puzzled by 'strange' elongated object that makes star disappear

Astronomers and space experts have been left puzzled by a star in the middle of the Milky Way which keeps blinking in and out of existence. While many stars change their brightness because they pulsate or are eclipsed by other stars, this one has particularly intrigued the scientists because it faints for several months and then suddenly revives its brightness. The star named VVV-WIT-08 is located in the centre of the Milky Way galaxy, roughly 25,000 light years away from planet earth. Following years of observation and analysis, astronomers have speculated that the star could be a new class of “blinking giant” binary system, which is blocked after every few decades. While the team is still probing into what could be concealing the star, their observation has revealed that a companion to the star, which could be another planet or star, is covered by an opaque disc. 'What- is-this' Speaking about the same to The Independent, Professor Philip Lucas from the University of Hertfordshire said that occasionally they find variable stars that “don’t fit into any established category, which we call ‘what-is-this?’, or ‘WIT’ objects”. Elaborating further, he said that the experts are yet to find “how these blinking giants came to be” adding that it was exciting to see such discoveries from VVV after so “many years planning and gathering the data”. While VVV-WIT-08 continues to intrigue the scientific community, NASA recently shared a stunning image of two spinning galaxies merging in a galaxy system 140 million light-years from Earth. Shockwaves vibrate across both galaxies as they merge, triggering waves of fresh star formation, according to the American space agency. Some of these stars are enormous, and their lives are brief but violent. Two oval-shaped items in close proximity release bundles of blue X-rays that brighten the surrounding areas, according to the photograph. 25 strong X-ray sources are scattered throughout the galactic system, according to data from NASA's Chandra Observatory. Image: Amanda Smith/ University of Cambridge

Advertisement

'What-is-this': Experts puzzled by 'strange' elongated object that makes star disappear

Astronomers and space experts have been left puzzled by a star in the middle of the Milky Way which keeps blinking in and out of existence.

Advertisement