Mira Star and Helix

Infrared spectra from SOFIA help reveal fundamental differences between the dust produced by two types of carbon-rich variable stars. Miras, well-known for their long pulsation periods and strong amplitudes, are producing copious amounts of amorphous carbon dust, while the semi-regulars form mainly SiC. These results help unravel the mystery of how the carbon produced inside stars gets out into the interstellar medium to provide not only the raw material for future generations of star formation, but also the methane in the atmospheres of planets and exoplanets as well as the DNA that forms the basis of life as we know it.

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