Shown here is the circumstellar environment, as seen in the near-infrared (2.2 μm), of a massive star in another galaxy: WOH G64 in the Large Magellanic Cloud. The central ellipse is likely to be an opaque, dusty cocoon surrounding the extreme red supergiant. The faint elliptical structures around the central object might correspond to the inner rim of a circumstellar disk or torus. This image may be one of the last glimpses of this unstable star, as it is expected to explode as a supernova.

Spectral and photometric monitoring of WOH G64 over the last couple of decades have indicated systemic and real-time changes in the circumstellar environment of the star. Since the changes are more noticeable in the near-infrared compared to the mid-infrared, it is probable that hot dust is forming close to the star, in a similar way to that observed around Betelgeuse.

这里显示的是另一个星系中一颗大质量恒星的星际环境，如近红外 （2.2 μm） 所示：大麦哲伦星云中的 WOH G64。中央椭圆很可能是一个不透明的、尘土飞扬的茧，围绕着这个极红的超巨星。中心物体周围微弱的椭圆形结构可能对应于星际盘或圆环的内缘。这张照片可能是这颗不稳定恒星的最后一瞥，因为它预计将以超新星的形式爆炸。

过去几十年来对 WOH G64 的光谱和光度监测表明，这颗恒星的星际环境发生了系统和实时的变化。由于与中红外相比，近红外的变化更为明显，因此热尘埃很可能正在恒星附近形成，类似于在参宿四周围观察到的方式。