Scientists have uncovered the true boundary of the Milky Way’s star-forming region using stellar “age mapping.” They found a telltale U-shaped pattern showing that star formation drops sharply around 35,000–40,000 light-years from the center. Beyond that, stars are mostly migrants, slowly drifting outward rather than forming in place. The discovery gives a long-sought answer to where our galaxy’s…
You may or may not have heard about blue stragglers; they are blue stars that are hotter and bluer than other stars with the same luminosity. Until now, it seemed that these stars defied most if not all of the standard stellar theories, but scientists now believe they have finally solved this stellar mistery.
The research carried out by the UK’s Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) an…
SAN DIEGO, United States (AFP) — Astronomers have discovered three giant stars in the Milky Way, an international conference was told.
The three “red giants” were found among a group of 74 stars studied by a group of international astronomers.
All are approaching the end of their life cycle and very cold, bright and enormous, said Philip Massey of the Lowell telescope in Flagstaff, Arizona.
The R…
