Five new superstars discovered in nearby galaxies
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.029491
Science : Since Eta Carinae was first observed in the 17th century, astronomers have been searching for other similarly large and luminous stars. Now a team of researchers has found five candidates by searching archival data from NASA’s Hubble and Spitzer space telescopes. The team presented its findings at the annual meeting of the American Astronomical Society being held this week in Kissimmee, Florida. Because such objects are so rare, the researchers hope to study the newly found analogs to learn more about how they burn and explode and how they create heavy elements. Once the James Webb Space Telescope has been deployed, its higher spatial resolution may yield even more clues.
