IRAS 15103-5754 stands out because it has been observed that the velocity of the material inside the jet increases in proportion to the distance from the central star. "Water molecules are generally destroyed soon after the planetary nebula is formed, and in the rare cases where a maser emission has been detected, the velocity has always been very low”, says Luis F. Miranda (IAA-CSIC, University of Vigo). “In IRAS 15103-5754 we are seeing for the first time a water maser emission at velocities of hundreds of kilometers per second. We are witnessing the transition of a star into a planetary nebula in real time".
“The high velocity can only be explained by the occurrence of an explosion”.
Read the full press release from the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia (IAA-CSIC)