Posted on 07/21/2010 10:25:09 AM PDT by TaraP
They are among the true monsters of space - colossal stars whose size and brightness go well beyond what many scientists thought was even possible.
Continue reading the main story Start Quote Planets take longer to form than these stars take to live and die End Quote Prof Paul Crowther
Sheffield University, UK One of the objects, known simply as R136a1, is the most massive ever found.
The star is seen to have a mass about 265 times that of our own Sun; but the latest modelling work suggests at birth it could have been bigger, still.
Perhaps as much as 320 times that of the Sun, says Professor Paul Crowther from Sheffield University, UK.
If it replaced the Sun in our Solar System, it would outshine [it] by as much as the Sun currently outshines the full Moon," the astronomer told BBC News.
The stars were identified by Crowther's team using a combination of new observations on the Very Large Telescope facility in Chile and data gathered previously with the Hubble Space Telescope.
R136, a cluster of young, massive and hot stars (ESO). Astronomer Maggie Aderin-Pocock explains why the discovery is significant The group studied the NGC 3603 and RMC 136a clusters - regions of space where thick clouds of gas and dust are collapsing into even denser clumps.
In these places, huge stars ignite to burn brief but brilliant lives before exploding as supernovas to seed the Universe with heavy elements.
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.co.uk ...
REVELATION 22:16
I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.”
I think this is actually the Lord on a brief stopover on his way to earth...
What this post isnt about Kirsty Ally!
You just might be right!
Numbers 24:17
17 “I see him, but not now;
I behold him, but not near.
A star will come out of Jacob;
a scepter will rise out of Israel.
He will crush the foreheads of Moab,
the skulls of all the sons of Sheth
I Jesus have sent my angel to testify these things - Primarily. To you - The seven angels of the churches; then to those churches - and afterwards to all other churches in succeeding ages. I - as God. Am the root - And source of David’s family and kingdom; as man, an descended from his loins. I am the star out of Jacob, Num 24:17; like the bright morning star, who put an end to the night of ignorance, sin, and sorrow, and usher in an eternal day of light, purity, and joy.
This star is clearly morbidly obese. Michelle needs to get on this right away.
It would be a good band name.
Why?
If a person stops to think about it, suns, our sun in particular, are miracles. Just to think about the tons of matter that must be consumed every day in that nuclear furnace is mind boggling. God outdid himself with Suns, even with only about 8 billion years of life, suns are truly phenomenal.
That’s no moon - It’s a space station!
Reportedly, its immense gravitational attraction is more than offset by a huge repulsive force, particularly at close distances to M-objects*...
Well "Big Star" was already taken.
Oh, to be young, massive and hot once again. There's a C&W song in there somewhere.
I remember watching the video on YouTube showing the relative sizes of stars in the universe, and after seeing how tiny the sun is compared to the, until now, largest star know, I was in a virtual fetal position in the corner over how insignificant we really are.
This put me right back in the corner! LOL!
As the Animaniacs sang:
It's a great big universe
And we're all really puny
We're just tiny little specks
About the size of Mickey Rooney
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.