Venice is definitely a city for one's bucket list

In a groundbreaking achievement, astronomers have obtained the first detailed image of a dying star beyond our Milky Way galaxy.

 Utilizing the GRAVITY instrument on the Very Large Telescope, they observed WOH G64, a massive red supergiant located approximately 160,000 light-years away in the Large Magellanic Cloud. 

This star, nearing the end of its life cycle, is expelling substantial amounts of gas and dust, providing valuable insights into stellar evolution.

The captured image revealed an unexpected oval shape, differing from the anticipated spherical appearance. This anomaly has led scientists to propose various hypotheses regarding the star's future, including the possibility of it transforming into a blue supergiant or collapsing into a black hole. 

The study, published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, emphasizes the need for further observations to deepen our understanding of such stellar phenomena.

This discovery marks a significant milestone in astrophysics, offering a rare glimpse into the life cycle of stars in other galaxies and enhancing our comprehension of the universe's evolution.