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Astronomy

A new molecular factory

Nature volume 447, page 1063 (2007)Cite this article

Carbon-rich stars are known to be prolific producers of molecules. Against expectations, astronomers have identified an old, oxygen-rich star that can also synthesize a chemically varied molecular cocktail.

For 30 years, astronomers' favourite star in the search for molecules was a nearby, old, carbon-rich star called CW Leo. This star produces such a variety of molecules that it constitutes a veritable 'molecular factory'. On page 1094 of this issue, Ziurys et al.1 describe how they have discovered another stellar molecular factory that is almost as prolific.VY Canis Majoris (VY CMa) is a cool, old star like CW Leo, and like CW Leo it is in our Galactic neighbourhood. But it is different in one crucial respect: it is rich in oxygen. Apparently, then, oxygen-rich stars can also produce a wide variety of molecules when they are near the ends of their lives.

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Figure 1: Stellar performance.

References

  1. Ziurys, L. M., Milam, S. N., Apponi, A. J. & Woolf, N. J. Nature 447, 1094–1097 (2007).

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  1. Sun Kwok is in the Department of Physics, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong. sunkwok@hku.hk,

    Sun Kwok

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  1. Sun Kwok
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Kwok, S. A new molecular factory. Nature 447, 1063 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/4471063a

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