Biggest and Brightest
A star in a cluster near the center of our Milky Way galaxy may be the
largest and brightest ever found. Called LBV 1806-20, it’s five to 40
million times brighter than the Sun, at least 150 times as massive, and
about 200 times wider. Astronomers don’t know if it’s a single star, or if
it’s bound in a binary or triple star system. The star’s strange properties
pose a challenge to the current theory of star formation, according to the
star’s discoverer, Steve Eikenberry of the University of Florida in
Gainesville. [CREDIT: UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA/MEGHAN KENNEDY]
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