ALMA catches a dying star mid-transformation, with a ring from its last outburst
Astronomers using the ALMA telescope have captured images of a dying star, IRAS 06530, revealing a ring structure from its final outburst. This research provides new insights into how stars transform into planetary nebulae.
Why it matters
Understanding the life cycles of stars helps scientists refine models of stellar evolution and the formation of complex space structures.
edited by Sadie Harley , reviewed by Robert Egan
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Add to Preferred Sources ALMA map of carbon monoxide gas around the dying star IRAS 06530, showing its three main structures: the ring, the central bipolar nebula (CBN), and the filamentary arc region (FAR). Credit: Raghvendra Sahai et al. ( arXiv , 2026). DOI: 10.48550/arXiv.2609.22489 Astronomers have used radio observations from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) to catch a dying star in the middle of a dramatic transformation, and the data show a ring that records its final outburst. The new research was posted to the arXiv preprint server on Sept. 18. The paper has been accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal .
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