Cassinelli and Associates Discover R136a, the Most Massive Star Known
At a glance:
- Series: Great Events from History II: Science and Technology Series
- Categories: Science
- Subcategories: Scientists, Astronomy, Astronomers, Cosmology
- Curriculum: American History 1951-present
- Geographical Location: Wisconsin
- Date: June, 1981
Article abstract: The discovery of the supermassive starlike object, R136a, presented important theoretical problems concerning stellar size and stability.
Summary of Event
One of the interests of stellar astronomers is the search for large stars and how they evolve. The Orion nebula has been observed for protostars, stars not yet at the point of undergoing nuclear fusion for energy. Infrared images revealed a strange object embedded in the densest center portion of the nebula. The object, called a Becklin-Neugebauer object (BN), was measured at 200...
[The entire page is 1873 words long]
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