Big Star – R136a1
- July 22nd, 2010
- Posted by EUEditor
British scientists have found a huge star in the Tarantula Galaxy, hundreds of times bigger than the Sun – and said to be the biggest star ever found.
The team headed by Paul Crowther, Professor of Astrophysics at Sheffield University deployed a Very Large Telescope, located in Chile, and matched the signals with data collected by the Hubble Space telescope.
Designated R136a1, the star has very high mass and is extremely radiant – millions of times brighter than the Sun.
It is expected to have a short life for a star, building up to explode.
See video, via The Guardian, UK: http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/interactive/2010/jul/21/monster-star-r136a1-sun-planets, (22.7.10).
Reference
The Guardian, Manchester, “R136a1 – the most massive star ever foundâ€, 21.7.10.
Leigh Giessl, “Scientists discover massive starâ€, Helium, Andover MA, 21.7.10. http://www.helium.com/items/1899099-scientists-discover-massive-star-r136a1-in-tarantula-nebula-galaxy, (22.7.10).
Picture   wikipedia