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Hubble Discovers a Fast-Aging Star Nicknamed "Nasty 1"

Posted by samzenpus on from the vanity-plate-ideas dept.

An anonymous reader writes: Using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, Astronomers have uncovered surprising new clues about a large, rapidly aging star whose behavior has never been seen before. The star is so strange in fact that astronomers have nicknamed it "Nasty 1," a play on its catalog name of NaSt1. Wolf-Rayet stars like NaSt1 are typically large, rapidly evolving stellar bodies that form by shedding their hydrogen-filled outer layers quickly, exposing a bright hot, helium-burning core. Nasty 1 is unique because it contains a disk like structure. "We were excited to see this disk-like structure because it may be evidence for a Wolf-Rayet star forming from a binary interaction," said Jon Mauerhan of UC Berkeley, lead author on the new Nasty 1 paper. "There are very few examples in the galaxy of this process in action because this phase is short-lived, perhaps lasting only a hundred thousand years, while the timescale over which a resulting disk is visible could be only ten thousand years or less."

29 comments

  1. With Names Like This... by sanman2 · · Score: 4, Funny

    It's naming mishaps like this which lead to interstellar wars

    1. Re:With Names Like This... by Applehu+Akbar · · Score: 2

      No, I prefer to think we're seeing a peaceful instance of Dyson sphere construction. Years from now this object will show up on the patrol scans as a vanilla-looking cool red giant.

    2. Re:With Names Like This... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The worst thing is, I know you're not joking.

    3. Re:With Names Like This... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's naming mishaps like this which lead to interstellar wars

      What are you on about dick head?

    4. Re:With Names Like This... by Tablizer · · Score: 1

      Or suggests NASA workers need a vacation and a good f8ck.

      --
      Table-ized A.I.
    5. Re:With Names Like This... by sjames · · Score: 1

      That and a certain country in Europe.

    6. Re:With Names Like This... by laejoh · · Score: 1

      Hey, I live there, you insensitive clod!

    7. Re:With Names Like This... by Gr8Apes · · Score: 1

      No, I prefer to think we're seeing a peaceful instance of Dyson sphere construction. Years from now this object will show up on the patrol scans as a vanilla-looking cool red giant.

      and another instance of "dark matter" will be born.... (there will be no red giant, a sufficiently advanced race that can build a dyson sphere won't waste that much energy)

      --
      The cesspool just got a check and balance.
  2. rapidly aging star whose behavior.... by turkeydance · · Score: 4, Funny

    Woody Allen would be appropriate.

  3. I would have preferred ... by Krishnoid · · Score: 2

    "Miss Jackson"

  4. nasty or just spoiled? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    this was all over other news outlets days ago. what is the new news in this post??

  5. Lets get Nasty baby by MrKaos · · Score: 1

    Have some of my gas...

    --
    My ism, it's full of beliefs.
  6. They see me rolling... by PopeRatzo · · Score: 0

    "Nasty 1" is my rap name.

    This new development will be great for my career, but not so good for my street cred.

    --
    You are welcome on my lawn.
  7. pixels by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Amazing how much info they can glean from a 3-pixel blob.

    1. Re:pixels by the_Bionic_lemming · · Score: 0

      Nah, send them to the southside of chicago where almost 900 people have been shot, and soon to be a movie about "chiraq" because of the egregious amounts of black on black violence to the tune of 2800.

      I'm hoping the people marching against cops will start marching in chicago after the recent shooting of a 4 year old - she caught a round in the head. Pretty sure she wasn't in a gang or deserving of the shot.

      I live in the southside and hear the gunfire occasionally.

      Here's the latest stats

      http://crime.chicagotribune.co...

      Here's the latest atrocity

      http://chicago.suntimes.com/ne...

      But yeah - the best efforts are focused on the occasional cop bit. Cause there's thousands of those (well not really - but it takes the sting out eh?)

      --
      _ _ _ Go for the eyes Boo! GO FOR THE EYES!
    2. Re:pixels by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Yup, almost like how in the 19th century they were able to deduce the presence of helium in the Sun from a few lines on a spectroscope.

    3. Re:pixels by michelcolman · · Score: 1

      They simply enhanced it.

  8. 2" by Whiteox · · Score: 1

    Congrats to Hubble. The whole thing is only 2" across!
    http://astronomynow.com/wp-con...

    --
    Don't be apathetic. Procrastinate!
    1. Re:2" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It is interesting... maybe the clump in that gif is the first sight I have of a civilization out there fast consuming its own star.

      We haven't reach that level of technology yet.

  9. Hubble Discovers?! Oh Really? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Wow, who exactly writes these headlines?!?!

    From TFA "The star’s catalogue name, NaSt1, is derived from the first two letters of each of the two astronomers who discovered it in 1963, Jason Nassau and Charles Stephenson."

    1. Re:Hubble Discovers?! Oh Really? by Tanktalus · · Score: 3, Funny

      So you're saying this is old news?

      Really, isn't that all slashdot is about now?

      Admittedly, 50 years behind is a bit long, even by slashdot standards...

  10. porn star? by rightwingLeftist · · Score: 0

    porn star?

    --
    posting at http://leftistconservative.blogspot.com
    1. Re:porn star? by PPH · · Score: 1

      Fast aging porn star. Probably from the days of VHS.

      --
      Have gnu, will travel.
  11. Hello, Nasty! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    The Beastie Boys dropped "Intergalactic" on "Hello Nasty" back in 1998.

  12. aliens by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Maybe this star is the result of a race who has fully harnessed a star?

    1. Re:aliens by ZeRu · · Score: 1

      The Geth are real.

      --
      If you post as an AC, don't expect me to spend a mod point on you.
  13. she's back by amias · · Score: 1

    just when you thought joan rivers was gone for good

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    [site]
  14. H2 -- He by rogerbly · · Score: 1

    If these stars are burning He to produce H2, we are on to something.

    "... bodies that form by shedding their hydrogen-filled outer layers quickly, exposing a bright hot, helium-burning core."