Newly discovered smoking stars emit huge strange clouds.

Astronomers have discovered stars that emit plumes of smoke, challenging our understanding of the end of giant stars' lives. These stars, known as Mira variables, typically pulsate and shed their outer layers. However, the newly discovered stars do not pulsate and instead dim for extended periods of time due to the emission of dusty smoke. The cause of this phenomenon is unclear, but it may be related to the high concentration of heavy elements near the galactic center. [Extracted from the article]