Massive stars as a research area encompasses the theoretical, observational, and computational study of stars with initial masses typically ≥8–10 solar masses, focusing on their formation, internal structure, evolution, feedback, and endpoints. This field investigates radiative and mechanical feedback on the interstellar medium, nucleosynthesis and chemical enrichment, stellar winds, rotation, binarity, and magnetic fields, as well as the progenitors of core-collapse supernovae, gamma-ray bursts, and compact remnants. Research integrates multiwavelength observations, stellar evolution and hydrodynamic simulations, and population synthesis to constrain mass loss, convection, mixing processes, and the role of massive stars in galaxy evolution and cosmology.
An international team of astronomers has achieved a first in probing the early universe, using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), detecting a supernova—the explosive death of a massive star—at an unprecedented cosmic ...
Astronomy
Dec 25, 2025
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When the most massive stars reach the ends of their lives, they blow up in spectacular supernova explosions, which seed the universe with heavy elements such as carbon and iron. Another type of explosion—the kilonova—occurs ...
Astronomy
Dec 16, 2025
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Star clusters are of great importance in any galaxy: they are the birthplace of new stars, often containing massive stars of 10 solar masses or more. Such massive stars often drive powerful winds; the combined action of all ...
Astronomy
Dec 10, 2025
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An international team led by ICREA researcher Mark Gieles, from the Institute of Cosmos Sciences of the University of Barcelona (ICCUB) and the Institute of Space Studies of Catalonia (IEEC), has developed a model that reveals ...
Astronomy
Nov 4, 2025
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The most massive stars in the universe are destined to explode as brilliant supernova before collapsing into black holes. Yet one huge star appears to have never fulfilled its destiny; in a twist of irony, the star wandered ...
Astronomy
Nov 4, 2025
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Electron-capture supernovae (ECSNe) are stellar explosions that occur in stars with initial masses around 8–10 times that of the sun. These stars develop oxygen-neon-magnesium cores, which become unstable when electrons ...
Betelgeuse, the brilliant red star marking Orion's shoulder, has long been suspected of harboring a secret. I have to confess, Betelgeuse holds a special place in my heart as the first star I ever looked at through a telescope ...
Astronomy
Oct 13, 2025
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A Northwestern University-led team of astronomers has captured the most detailed glimpse yet of a doomed star before it exploded. Using NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the international team identified a supernova's ...
Astronomy
Oct 8, 2025
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A collaborative team has revealed new observational evidence that sheds light on the mystery of massive star formation. Researchers from Yunnan University, the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, ...
Astronomy
Sep 17, 2025
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A blowtorch of seething gases erupting from a volcanically growing monster star has been captured by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope. Stretching across 8 light-years, the length of the stellar eruption is approximately ...
Astronomy
Sep 10, 2025
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