5 AMAZING stars we’ve discovered in space!

TL;DR

This video explores some of the most unique and sought after stars in the universe, including the largest star ever discovered, the smallest star in existence, a black widow pulsar, the oldest star ever discovered, and a possible hybrid star.

Transcript

Before the advent of telescopes, stars just appeared to be twinkling specks in the sky, but all looked kind of similar. But when we started attaching cameras to our telescopes, a zoo of unusual suns with orbiting planets and sister stars and lives ending in black holes began to appear. Here are some of the most unusual and sought after stars in the... Read More

Key Insights

• 🤩 Cameras attached to telescopes have revealed a variety of unusual stars, expanding our understanding of the universe.
• 🤩 UY Scuti is the largest star, while J0523 is the smallest star ever discovered.
• 🤩 The Black Widow Pulsar, J1311, showcases a pulsar destroying its companion star.
• 😘 SM0313 has the lowest abundance of heavy metals, hinting at its early formation in the universe.
• 🤩 Hydrid stars called ThorneZytkow Objects, like HV2112, are still being studied to understand their formation and properties.
• 🤕 Uranium is used to age stars, but the lack of uranium in SM0313 makes it difficult to determine its exact age.
• 🤩 Exploding giant stars can leave behind dense neutron stars, which can then collide with other stars and form hybrid stars.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is the largest star ever discovered?

The largest star ever discovered is UY Scuti, with a diameter 1,700 times that of our sun and a density much lower than Mars's atmosphere.

Q: What is the smallest star ever discovered?

The smallest star ever discovered is J0523, which is smaller than Jupiter and appears to be at the limit of fusion, making it the smallest possible star.

Q: What is a Black Widow Pulsar?

A Black Widow Pulsar, like J1311, is a neutron star orbiting a companion star. The pulsar gradually blasts away material from the companion star, causing it to shrink.

Q: How old is the oldest star ever discovered?

The exact age of the oldest star ever discovered, SM0313, is unknown, but it likely formed only a few hundred million years after the Big Bang.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• UY Scuti is the largest star ever discovered, with a diameter 1,700 times that of our sun and a density 3,000 times less than Mars's atmosphere.

• J0523 is the smallest star ever discovered, smaller than Jupiter and at the limit of fusion, making it the smallest possible star.

• The Black Widow Pulsar, J1311, is a neutron star orbiting a companion star, slowly destroying it.

• SM0313 is the oldest star ever discovered, with the lowest abundance of heavy metals, likely formed only a few hundred million years after the Big Bang.

• HV2112 is a strong candidate for a ThorneZytkow Object, a hybrid star formed from a collision between a neutron star and a supergiant star.