...Previously, the heaviest known stars were around 150 times the mass of the Sun, and this was believed to be close to the cosmic size limit.
As stars get more massive the amount of energy created in their cores grows at a faster rate than the force of gravity which holds them together. The torrents of energy produced eventually become so powerful that the stars are torn apart.
This is known as the "Eddington Limit", after the British physicist Arthur Eddington who, in 1919, proved Einstein's theory of relativity by showing that light is bent by gravity.
It was believed that the Eddington Limit was reached at around 150 solar masses. However, R136a1 has been measured at 265 solar masses, and 9 million times its brightness, with a surface temperature of 95,000°F (53,000 K).
Articles:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/space/7902627/Universes-biggest-known-star...
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/news/98927839.html
Full analysis:
http://www.eso.org/public/archives/releases/sciencepapers/eso1030/eso1030.pdf
Comments (0)
Leave a comment...