New Type of Red Giant Star Discovered in Milky Way

Nicknamed 'Old Smoker', the Star Could Change Our Understanding of Element Distribution in Space

Astronomers have discovered a new type of red giant star, nicknamed 'old smoker', in the heart of the Milky Way galaxy. These stars sit quietly for decades before suddenly puffing out clouds of smoke.
The discovery was made during a 10-year survey of the night sky, monitoring almost a billion stars in infrared light. The survey was conducted by an international team led by Professor Philip Lucas of the University of Hertfordshire.
The team also detected dozens of rarely-seen newborn stars, known as protostars, which undergo extreme outbursts over a period of months, years or decades, as part of the formation of a new solar system.
Most of these newly-spotted stars are hidden from view in visible light by large amounts of dust and gas in the Milky Way, but infrared light can get through, allowing scientists to see them for the first time.
The discovery of the 'old smoker' stars could change what we know about the way that elements are distributed across space. Matter ejected from old stars plays a key role in the life cycle of the elements, helping to form the next generation of stars and planets.