Bubbles around the dying star OH231.8+4.2

Bubbles around the dying star OH231.8+4.2. This red CCD-image (left) of the peculiar object OH231.8+4.2 shows for the first time a star during the rapid transition from a red giant to a white dwarf (cf. ESO Press Release eso8703). A schematic interpretation of the picture is shown at the right. The star is embedded in a dense dust disk and material is ejected into two `bubbles'. Shocked regions indicate where high-speed stellar material collides with interstellar gas and dust. The dark points are stars in the Milky Way which have no connection with this object. The scale is indicated; North is up and East to the left. (ESO Press Release eso8703; BW)