Indian scientists discover 28 new Milky Way stars

The brightness of variable stars fluctuates with time due to change in emitted light, with the periodic swelling and shrinking of stars changing the quantum of light reaching earth.

Updated on: Jul 27, 2019, 06:57:05 IST

Hindustan Times, Nainital | By Neeraj Santoshi

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A team of scientists at Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES) in Nainital has identified 28 new variable stars in the halo or outer part of the Milky Way galaxy, nearly 60,000 light years away in the constellation Coma Berenices, visible in the northern night sky.

Image for representation (AFP file photo)

The brightness of variable stars fluctuates with time due to change in emitted light, with the periodic swelling and shrinking of stars changing the quantum of light reaching earth.

Using a powerful 3.6-metre optical telescope, the Devasthal Optical Telescope (DOT), the scientists conducted photometric observations to discover the stars.

The stars were found in globular cluster NGC 4147; a globular cluster is a large but compact cluster of stars around a galactic core and is spherical in shape. Typically a globular cluster has very old stars.

The detailed findings are to be published in next month’s Astronomical Journal.

The findings were published on May 20 on arXiv, a respected and well-used online archive for research.

The DOT telescope has made it possible to study the magnetic field structure of stars and the evolution of the Milky Way, and search for extra solar planets and stars in the outer region and the halo of the Milky Way.

“The halo of a galaxy is a nearly spherical region surrounding the galaxy like diffuse light when seen from a distance. Only about 1% of a galaxy’s mass resides in its halo area, and coupled with low brightness, the observation of stars in halos is very difficult. This is why our finding holds much significance. Also, due to the old age of stars in the halo area of our galaxy, studying stars in this area helps scientists to figure out the evolutionary history of the Milky Way,” said Sneh Lata, a scientist at ARIES who worked on the project.

“We are proud of our team for making this discovery,” said Wahab Uddin, director, ARIES.

ARIES, located on a hill near Nainital, conducts research on solar, planetary, stellar, galactic and extragalactic astronomy.

The first successful Indian optical observation of the afterglow of the gamma-ray burst was carried out from ARIES in 1999.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Neeraj Santoshi
Neeraj Santoshi is the Chief of Bureau for Hindustan Times in Uttarakhand, where he leads the state reporting team while covering government, politics, environment, wildlife, Uttarakhand High Court, and issues shaping the Himalayan region. With more than two decades in journalism across conflict zones, he has covered politically sensitive regions and environmentally fragile landscapes, and focused on stories that combine public interest with in-depth storytelling. An alumnus of Pune University with a Master’s in Communication Studies, he has reported extensively from Jammu & Kashmir (2003-2010), Madhya Pradesh (2010 to 2018 ) and Uttarakhand (Since 2018), covering subjects ranging from insurgency, elections and governance to wildlife conservation, mining, climate change, agriculture, human rights and social justice. He has covered politics and legislative assemblies of both Jammu & Kashmir and Madhya Pradesh over more than a decade. Before taking over as Chief of Bureau in Uttarakhand, he served as Special Correspondent with Hindustan Times in Madhya Pradesh and earlier reported for both Hindustan Times and The Indian Express in Jammu & Kashmir, where he covered state politics, environment and insurgency-related developments. Over the years, his stories have focused on environmental degradation, wildlife, illegal mining, governance and the changing social fabric of Himalayan states and Central India. He is particularly interested in long-form explanatory journalism, and stories that explore the intersection of ecology, conservation, governance and society. Outside the newsroom, Neeraj enjoys reading widely on neuroscience, consciousness studies, Artificial Intelligence and quantum physics, with a special interest in Kashmiri Tantric Shaivist traditions. He is also passionate about wildlife, mountaineering and the Himalayas, interests that continue to inform his reporting and deepen his understanding of the region he covers.Read More

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