Giant in a cocoon: A close-up image of a star beyond the Milky Way has been captured for the first time (photo).

For the first time, astrophysicists have captured the most detailed photograph of a star that is not located in our Milky Way galaxy. Using the VLT ground telescope of the European Southern Observatory, a close-up image of a star named WOH G64, surrounded by an egg-shaped cocoon, was taken. The study has been published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics, reports The Guardian.

Previously, stars in other galaxies appeared in photographs merely as points of light, but now scientists have achieved something unprecedented. A detailed photograph of a star located in the Milky Way's satellite galaxy, known as the Large Magellanic Cloud, has been obtained for the first time.

The star known as WOH G64 is a red supergiant that is at the final stage of its life and is actively ejecting its material into space. Situated 160,000 light-years away from us, this star is dying and will eventually explode as a supernova. According to scientists, the massive WOH G64 is estimated to be 2,000 times larger than the Sun. Researchers believe it to be the largest star in the neighboring galaxy.

Massive stars that reach the end of their life cycle begin to shed their outer layers, and astrophysicists estimate that WOH G64 has been doing this for approximately 10 years. As a result of the ejected gas, an egg-shaped cocoon has formed around the star. Scientists think that the oval shape of the cocoon can be attributed to the star's rapid rotation. However, the shape of the cocoon may also be influenced by the gravitational pull of an undetected companion star.

Considering the changes occurring with the star, it is expected to explode as a supernova in the future, although it could take thousands of years before that happens. On the other hand, astronomers have previously observed stars that began shedding their outer layers just a few years before exploding as supernovae. The true fate of WOH G64 will be revealed with time. Scientists believe that this star may indeed explode in the coming years, given its characteristics.

According to the authors of the study, never before have changes in a dying star been observed in real-time, especially for a star that may soon vanish.

After the death of massive stars that live for hundreds of millions or even billions of years, either stellar black holes or neutron stars remain. It is impossible to predict in advance what will remain of WOH G64.