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Bright Stars Don’t Like to Be Alone
Caption: New research using data from European Southern Observatory telescopes, including the Very Large Telescope, has revealed that the hottest and brightest stars, known as O stars, are often found in close pairs. Credit: ESA, NASA, H. Sana (Amsterdam University), and S.E. de Mink (STScI)
Like humans, stars seem to prefer the company of companions. A new study using Very Large Telescope reveals that most very bright, high-mass O-type stars do not live alone. Surprisingly, almost three-quarters of these stars are found to have a close companion star, far more than previously thought. But sometimes – also like humans – the relationship between companion stars can turn a little ugly, with one star becoming dominant and even disruptive by stealing matter from the other. An international team of astronomers have found that some stars will virtually suck the life out of another, and about one-third of the time, a pair of stars will ultimately merge to form a single star.
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Read the rest of Bright Stars Don’t Like to Be Alone (772 words)
© nancy for Universe Today, 2012. | Permalink | No comment |
Post tags: galaxy evolution, O-type stars, stars, Very Large Telescope (VLT)
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