Scientists observed a strip of ionized iron atoms extending through the Ring Nebula, located about 2,283 light-years from Earth, in a phenomenon that had never been recorded before, raising broad questions about its origin and method of formation.

The Ring Nebula is one of the closest and most studied planetary nebulae, and astronomers believe it formed about 4,000 years ago when a dying star lost its outer layers. Its main ring consists of approximately 20,000 dense masses of molecular hydrogen gas, each of which has a mass approximately the mass of the Earth. The proximity of the nebula and its high temperature make it a favorite target for testing new telescopes and astronomical equipment.

In the new study, scientists examined the nebula using a sophisticated instrument known as the Large Integrated Field Unit (LIFU), mounted on the William Herschel Telescope. This tool allows the analysis of different wavelengths of light across the entire nebula, enabling the team to draw precise maps of its chemical composition.

Dr. Roger Wesson, the lead author of the study from Cardiff University and University College London, says that analysis of the spectra clearly revealed a previously unknown band of ionized iron atoms located in the middle of the known ring of the nebula, which was a surprise to scientists.

The origin of this stripe is still the subject of scientific debate, as scientists put forward two main possibilities: either it was formed by an unknown physical process that accompanied the ejection of the nebula with the collapse of the parent star, or it is the remains of a rocky planet that evaporated when the star expanded and turned into a red giant at an earlier stage in its life.

Wesson points out that the observed amount of iron is consistent with what is expected from the evaporation of a rocky planet, explaining that the evaporation of two planets the size of Mercury or Mars would have left a smaller amount of iron, while the evaporation of Earth or Venus would have produced a slightly larger amount than that found in the nebula.

This discovery is of particular importance because it may provide a glimpse into what might happen to Earth in about five billion years, when the Sun runs out of nuclear energy and turns into a red giant. At that stage, the Sun’s outer layers will expand to enormous sizes, while its core will shrink and eventually turn into a white dwarf, after the outer layers are ejected to form a planetary nebula.

Scientists believe that the Earth will then be destroyed, either by evaporation due to intense heat, or by tearing apart as a result of enormous tidal forces, which may turn it into metallic remains similar to the iron rod observed in the Ring Nebula.

However, scientists stress that the evaporating planet hypothesis still needs additional evidence. Wesson says that finding other chemical elements associated with iron may help resolve this controversy, pointing out the possibility of similar structures in other nebulae that have not yet been discovered.

Source: Daily Mail

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