What visible structures serve as direct, visual confirmation of mass loss from late-stage stars?
Answer
Planetary nebulae (PNs).
The material ejected late in a star's life forms vast, expanding shells of gas and dust that are observable by telescopes, known specifically as planetary nebulae.
Related Questions
What is mass loss considered in modern astrophysics regarding stars?What is the primary mechanism for mass loss observed in our Sun on the main sequence?How much greater can the mass loss rate of an AGB star be compared to the Sun's current rate?What observational factor is cited as a critical driver for the intense mass outflow during the AGB phase?What visible structures serve as direct, visual confirmation of mass loss from late-stage stars?What do complex, asymmetric structures observed in planetary nebulae often suggest about the star's final stages?What is the name of the gravitational boundary governing a star's material in a close binary system, overflow of which leads to mass transfer?If mass is pulled onto an accreting white dwarf from a companion star, what event can this influx of new material potentially trigger?What factor ultimately determines whether a collapsed stellar core becomes a neutron star or a black hole?The existence of stellar-mass black holes across the galaxy requires what condition regarding the star's pre-collapse life?