Mira

Astronomers using the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX), a NASA space telescope, have spotted an amazingly long comet-like tail behind a star streaking through space.

The large star is in its death throes and is leaving a huge, turbulent tail of oxygen, carbon and nitrogen in its wake that makes it look like an immense comet hurtling through space.

The tail, spanning a stunning distance of 13 light-years (about 20,000 times the average distance of Pluto from the sun) was detected behind the star Mira, located 350 light-years from Earth in the "whale" constellation Cetus.

Rocketing through our Milky Way galaxy at 80 miles per second -- literally faster than a speeding bullet -- the star is spewing material that scientists believe may be recycled into new stars, planets and maybe even life.

This material has been blown off Mira gradually over time -- the oldest was released roughly 30,000 years ago as part of a long stellar death process -- and is enough to form at least 3,000 future Earth-sized planets.

Astronomers say Mira's tail offers a unique opportunity to study how stars like our sun die and ultimately seed new solar systems. Mira is an older star called a red giant that is losing massive amounts of surface material.

Mira will eventually eject all of its remaining gas into space, forming a colorful shell called a planetary nebula. The nebula will fade with time, leaving only the burnt-out core of the original star, which will then be called a white dwarf.

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