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May 13

Low Sodium Diet Key to Old Age for Stars

Source: ESO Science Release eso1323

eso1323a
The globular star cluster NGC 6752.
Image credits: ESO.

Astronomers expect that stars like the Sun will blow off much of their atmospheres into space near the ends of their lives. But new observations of a huge star cluster made using ESO’s Very Large Telescope have shown — against all expectations — that a majority of the stars studied simply did not get to this stage in their lives at all. The international team found that the amount of sodium in the stars was a very strong predictor of how they ended their lives. (read more)

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