Imagine a grumpy grandpa star who suddenly gets the hiccups, but instead of burping soda, it coughs up massive clouds of dust and gas
That's what the "old smokers" are: aging red giants in our galaxy who surprised astronomers with their dramatic outbursts. These outbursts challenge our understanding of how stars die and might be enriching the universe for future star and planet formation, making them cosmic recyclers with a flair...