Astronomers knew this star was "winking," or dimming erratically. They thought it might be young. Now they think RZ Piscium might be more evolved than our sun, and hungry.
For the 1st time, astronomers have seen giant bubbles roiling up to the surface of a star beyond our solar system. Each great bubble is so huge it would extend from our sun to Venus.
The Big Dipper is low in the sky in the evening hours at this time of year. But you can see it after midnight. Janet Aviles caught it earlier this week, ascending in the northeast.
"Because Alpha Centauri is so close, it's our first stop outside our solar system. There are almost certain to be small, rocky planets around Alpha Centauri A and B."
Deborah Byrd (asteroid 3505 Byrd) helps edit EarthSky.org and is a frequent host of EarthSky videos. Deborah created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Prior to that, she had worked for the University of Texas McDonald Observatory since 1976, and created and produced their Star Date radio series. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named in her honor in 1990, a Public Service Award from the National Science Board in 2003, and the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society in 2020. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.