- Epsilon Aurigae being eclipsed by a dark dust cloud
8th April 2010
Epsilon Aurigae is a star in the constellation Auriga, near the brightest star Capella. In this stunning and eerie image a vast dark dust cloud can be seen passing across our line of sight in front of the star, eclipsing it. This star has been the subject of much debate for over a century, as it has been noticed to dim for a period of 2 years, every 27 years.
Now astronomers looked to have finally solved the mystery, unmasking the star’s secrets in incredible new images created by combining the power of four telescopes, resulting in pictures 140 times sharper than from the Hubble Space Telescope.
The dust crossing in front of the star is in a thin disk and opaque, causing it to completely block the light from the area of star it is covering. The disk of dust is said to be trailed by a massive and unseen companion. Something is orbiting the star, or orbiting another star, or another object and crossing the face of Epsilon Aurigae. A newly formed star with it’s infant solar system in the form of a thick dust disk maybe? Could this artist’s impression be an accurate depiction of what is going on 2,000 light years away?
These latest images remind me of the latest ones taken of the red supergiant Betelgeuse in Orion. Once no more than mere pinpoints of light in the night sky, stars are now being shown ever closer revealing details of their surfaces, and even objects passing in front. We both know of course that all stars are suns. But these kinds of photos of “nearby” stars such as Epsilon Aurigae and Betelgeuse really bring it home, just how Sun like they are.
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