"Old smokers": Scientists discover a new type of star at the center of our galaxy (photo)

An international team of astronomers has made an impressive discovery, discovering a new type of star near the center of our galaxy. These 21 red stars, nicknamed "old smokers," are observed to emit clouds of gas resembling smoke.

According to the researchers, "old smokers" are a type of red giant that form during the dying stage of medium-sized stars like our Sun after they run out of hydrogen for nuclear fusion, Sky News reports.

The innovative discovery was made possible by 10 years of monitoring nearly a billion stars in infrared light.

Astronomers from the United Kingdom, Chile, South Korea, Brazil, Germany, and Italy used the British VISTA telescope located at the Cerro Paranal Observatory in the Chilean Andes.

In addition to the "old smokers," the researchers also discovered 32 newborn stars known as protostars. These stars are in the early stages of formation and exhibit extreme outbursts over months, years, or decades, indicating the formation of a new solar system.

The discoveries expand our understanding of the evolution of stars and the early stages of their formation.

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