Source: ESO Science Release eso1117
Star-forming region around the Tarantula Nebula in the Large Magellanic Cloud.
Image credit: ESO/M.-R. Cioni/VISTA Magellanic Cloud survey.
ESO's Acknowledgment: Cambridge Astronomical Survey Unit
An extraordinarily bright isolated star has been found in a nearby galaxy — the star is three million times brighter than the Sun. All previous similar “superstars” were found in star clusters, but this brilliant beacon shines in solitary splendour. The origin of this star is mysterious: did it form in isolation or was it ejected from a cluster? Either option challenges astronomers’ understanding of star formation.(read more)
