Model of the evolution of the material around the old star R Sculptoris over 2000 years

This video is a computer model of the evolution of the material around the old red giant star R Sculptoris over a period of 2000 years. This star experiences thermal pulses that lead to the ejection of material from its surface. Astronomers think that the strange spiral structure is the result of the presence of a companion star in orbit around the red giant.