Herschel telescope finds 'impossible' star so massive it would dwarf our sun

Astronomers at the Herschel telescope in Europe have spotted an 'impossible' star that will turn into one of the biggest and brightest stars in our galaxy.


New cosmic observations from the European-built Herschel infrared space observatory have revealed previously hidden details of star form tucked away in distant galaxies. One snapshot reveals what researchers called an 'impossible' star caught in the act of forming.

The new images show thousands of these galaxies and beautiful star-forming clouds draped across the Milky Way.

These images were part of the presentation of the first results from Herschel, which was launched on May 14 of last year, today during a major scientific symposium held at the European Space Agency (ESA), which runs the observatory, in Noordwijk, Netherlands. These results challenge old ideas of star birth, and open new roads for future research.

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http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2010/0508/Herschel-telescope-finds-impossible-star-so-massive-it-would-dwarf-our-sun

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Rogue Brown Dwarf Lurks in Our Cosmic Neighborhood

Brown dwarf-hunting astronomers have reported the discovery of a "failed star" located within 10 light-years from Earth. This makes it the nearest brown dwarf and one of ten nearest stellar objects to our solar system. Although its location isn't entirely unexpected (it is thought that the galaxy is stuffed full of these objects), the chemical composition of its atmosphere is a bit of a conundrum.

UGPSJ0722-05 is all by itself, floating through interstellar space, possibly having formed there on its lonesome, or kicked out of its host star system by an ancient gravitational game of stellar pinball. How it got there may not ever be known, but its close proximity allows astronomers to carry out detailed analysis of the object.

And what they found was a surprise.

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http://news.discovery.com/space/rogue-brown-dwarf-lurks-in-our-cosmic-neighborhood.html

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