Figure 19-5: R I V U X G
A Mass-Loss Star As stars age and become giant stars, they expand tremendously and shed matter into space. This star, HD 148937, is losing matter at a high rate. Other strong outbursts in the past ejected the clouds that surround HD 148937. These clouds absorb ultraviolet radiation from the star, which excites the atoms in the clouds and causes them to glow. The characteristic red color of the clouds reveals the presence of hydrogen (see Section 5-6) that was ejected from the star’s outer layers.
A Mass-Loss Star As stars age and become giant stars, they expand tremendously and shed matter into space. This star, HD 148937, is losing matter at a high rate. Other strong outbursts in the past ejected the clouds that surround HD 148937. These clouds absorb ultraviolet radiation from the star, which excites the atoms in the clouds and causes them to glow. The characteristic red color of the clouds reveals the presence of hydrogen (see Section 5-6) that was ejected from the star’s outer layers.
(Australian Astronomical Observatory/David Malin Images)