One of the universe's largest stars is about to burst
What's the story
WOH G64, one of the largest stars in the universe, has undergone a major transformation since 2014. The massive star, located in the Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy, has changed from a red supergiant to a yellow hypergiant. This rapid evolution is marked by mass loss and instability, leading astronomers to believe that it may be on the verge of a supernova explosion.
Characteristics
Over 1,500 times larger than our Sun
Discovered in the 1970s, WOH G64 is more than 1,500 times larger than our Sun. In 2024, astronomers captured detailed images of the star using the Very Large Telescope Interferometer. The images showed a clearly visible dusty cocoon around the body, indicating heavy mass loss as well as late-stage instability.
Stellar evolution
The star was reclassified as a yellow hypergiant in 2014
In 2014, WOH G64 was reclassified as a yellow hypergiant, a rare stellar phase that occurs during rapid internal transitions. During this phase, stars shed their outer layers while their cores contract and temperatures rise. The transformation could be due to violent surface ejections or internal pulsations. Spectral data also revealed the presence of a companion star, which may have triggered instability through interactions.
Fate
Such transformations are rare and not well understood
The processes observed in WOH G64 could indicate an imminent explosion, although predicting the exact timing remains difficult. Stars of this size are known to explode eventually, but the question is when it will happen. Observing such evolution beyond our galaxy has amazed researchers and could greatly enhance our understanding of stellar physics if humanity gets to witness it firsthand.