The observations of a star stripped down to its oxygen- and silicon-rich layers are indicative of an extremely rare stripping process, which can occur due to strong stellar winds, eruptions, or interactions with a companion star, according to the researchers.

This material, says a team led by astrophysicist Steve Schulze of Northwestern University in the US, constitutes the first direct evidence of the theorized concentric shells of different elements that make up the interiors of massive stars, validating the star life cycle, and expanding our knowledge about how massive stars end their lives.