One of the largest known stars in the universe underwent a dramatic transformation in 2014, new research shows, and may be preparing to explode.
A study led by Gonzalo Muñoz-Sanchez at the National Observatory of Athens, published in Nature Astronomy, argues that the enormous star WOH G64 has transitioned from a red supergiant to a rare yellow hypergiant — in what may be evidence of an impending supernova.
The evidence suggests we may be witnessing, in real time, a massive star shedding its outer layers, shrinking as it heats up, and moving closer to the end of its short life.
A very special star
WOH G64 was first discovered in the 1970s as a star of interest in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a dwarf galaxy orbiting the Milky Way.
It turned out the star was not only extremely luminous, but also one of the biggest ever discovered: more than 1,500 times the radius of the Sun.
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