SANTIAGO, Chile – Astronomers in Chile have captured a groundbreaking close-up image of a colossal red supergiant star named WOH G64, located in the Large Magellanic Cloud, 160,000 light-years away. This remarkable achievement, made possible by the Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI), offers a unique glimpse into the final stages of a star’s life outside of our Milky Way galaxy.

WOH G64, one of the largest stars ever observed, dwarfs the Sun by over 2,000 times. The detailed image reveals the star surrounded by a dense, egg-shaped cocoon of gas and dust, shedding light on the evolutionary processes of massive stars and their eventual transition to spectacular supernova explosions.

The circumstellar envelope around WOH G64, unveiled by the VLTI, showcases irregularities indicating dynamic forces at play, such as stellar winds, magnetic fields, or gravitational perturbations. Keiichi Ohnaka, the lead researcher from Andrés Bello National University, underscored the significance of this discovery as the first-ever close-up image of a dying star in a galaxy beyond our own.

Observations over the past decade have shown significant dimming in WOH G64, linked to enhanced mass-loss episodes as the star expels gas and dust. This dimming phenomenon, tied to localized increases in ejection rates within the star’s outer layers, presents a rare opportunity for astronomers to witness real-time changes in a star’s life.

High-resolution imaging of WOH G64’s circumstellar envelope, made possible by the GRAVITY instrument on the VLTI, reveals complex structures and asymmetries. Ohnaka highlighted the potential connection between the observed structures and the impending drastic ejection of material before a supernova explosion, marking a significant milestone in observational astronomy.

As WOH G64 nears the end of its life as a red supergiant, astronomers anticipate a core collapse leading to a supernova explosion. The timing of this event remains uncertain, with potential outcomes ranging from the formation of a black hole to a neutron star. These findings shed light on the evolutionary path of massive stars and the transformative processes leading to explosive ends.

The detailed imaging and analysis of WOH G64 represent a significant advance in understanding the late evolutionary stages of massive stars. By studying the asymmetries and variations in its circumstellar envelope, astronomers gain insights into the physical forces shaping stellar transformations. These observations provide a framework for studying similar stars both within and beyond the Milky Way, emphasizing the importance of advanced telescopic technologies in unraveling the mysteries of stellar evolution.