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.
Very massive stars (VMSs), which typically have masses about 100 times that of our own sun, are critical components in our understanding of the formation of important astronomical structures like black holes and supernovae. ...
Astronomy
Jun 17, 2025
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The future of yellow dwarf stars, like our sun, is determined almost entirely by their mass. The most massive stars, about eight to 12 times heftier than the sun, can explode as supernovae, leading to the most extreme objects ...
Astronomy
Jun 10, 2025
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Astronomers from the University of Hawaiʻi's Institute for Astronomy (IfA) have discovered the most energetic cosmic explosions yet discovered, naming the new class of events "extreme nuclear transients" (ENTs). These extraordinary ...
Astronomy
Jun 4, 2025
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Across the cosmos, many stars can be found in pairs, gracefully circling one another. Yet one of the most dramatic pairings occurs between two orbiting black holes, formed after their massive progenitor stars exploded in ...
Astronomy
Jun 3, 2025
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Using the National Radio Astronomy Observatory's Very Large Array, astronomers have revealed for the first time the huge flow of gas near a massive star in the making that allows its rapid growth.
Astronomy
May 6, 2025
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Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are the most energetic events ever observed in the universe. These powerful outbursts can shine a quintillion (1018) times brighter than the sun. Since they were first detected in 1967 by the Vela ...
Astronomy
Apr 17, 2025
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Black holes are fundamental to the structure of galaxies and critical in our understanding of gravity, space, and time. A stellar mass black hole is a type of black hole that forms from the gravitational collapse of a massive ...
Astronomy
Apr 9, 2025
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Astronomers from the University of Sheffield and Pennsylvania State University have performed X-ray and optical observations of a massive star known as Melnick 39. As a result, they found that Melnick 39 is a colliding-wind ...
A recent study reveals that the famous Wolf-Rayet 104 "pinwheel star" holds more mystery but is even less likely to be the potential "death star" it was once thought to be.
Astronomy
Mar 18, 2025
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Lobster-eye satellite Einstein Probe captured the X-ray flash from a very elusive celestial pair. The discovery opens a new way to explore how massive stars interact and evolve, confirming the unique power of the mission ...
Astronomy
Feb 18, 2025
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