Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
Some stars explode in slow motion.
Rare, massive Wolf-Rayet stars are so tumultuous and hot they are disintegrating right before our telescopes. Glowing gas globs each over 30 times more massive than the Earth are being expelled by a violent stellar wind . Why this star has been slowly blowing itself apart over the past 10,000 years remains unclear. WR124 is 15,000 light-years away towards the constellation of Sagitta . Specific rights apply .