Contact: Douglas Pierce-Price
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ESO

Curious Spiral Spotted by ALMA Around Red Giant Star R Sculptoris

Caption: Observations using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array 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)

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