NASA Hubble Space Telescope Giant Star Hiding Behind Tarantula Nebula

The largest star ever discovered in the galaxy, which was originally estimated to be 250-320 times more massive than the sun, was once recorded by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. However, a recent study suggests that the estimate could be off.

Some of its best images have recorded the biggest known star, indicating that the maximum mass of the sun is likely to be far smaller than previously believed.

NASA Hubble Space Telescope Finding Giant Star Hiding in Tarantula Nebula

The mass of the star R136a1 was first calculated to be between 250 and 320 times that of the Sun, as ScienceAlert initially reported.

However, Universe Today mentioned that the masses of several of the stars from the picture, including R136a1, whose mass is thought to be between 150 and 200 times that of the sun.

The most recent estimate of this star is considerably less than earlier ones. R136a1 still possesses a surface temperature that is eight times hotter than the sun and a radius that is forty times larger, notwithstanding this latest estimate.

Core of R136 in 30 Doradus with speckle imaging from Gemini South by @astroquackers et al. https://t.co/V7M2wfR1AY; R136 a1 is most massive star known with past estimates of ~250-300 Msun, they find ~200 Msun thanks to a clearer view of pesky #9 #starsarestillinteresting pic.twitter.com/l7W1Vwui4s
— Chris Evans (@chrisinembra) July 27, 2022

The research was done as a part of the attempt to comprehend the R136 cluster. It is situated in the active star-forming Tarantula Nebula in the Large Magellanic Cloud of the Milky Way.

R136a1 most likely represents one of the biggest stars in the cosmos. From red dwarfs with ten times the mass of the sun to gigantic giants that would make our sun look small in comparison, stars originate in various sizes. Astronomers can better comprehend the creation processes of supergiant stars by understanding how widespread they are.

After all, for a massive star like this to emerge, a lot of gas must collapse relatively quickly. Additionally, they are so massive and die quickly to the point that they are even harder to find.

(Photo: ESO/M. Kornmesser)
Relative sizes of young stars, from the smallest “red dwarfs,” weighing in at about 0.1 solar masses, through low mass “yellow dwarfs” such as the Sun, to massive “blue dwarf” stars weighing eight times more than the Sun, as well as the 300 solar mass star named R136a1.

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How Scientists Used Speckle Imaging For Measurements

However, in the latest research, the Zorro instrument on Gemini South outperformed the resolution of earlier studies by using a method called "speckle imaging," which allowed ground-based telescopes to get through the blurring effect of Earth's atmosphere.

Researchers could completely balance the blurring by capturing hundreds of short-exposure photos and properly analyzing the data.

"This result shows that given the right conditions, an 8.1m telescope pushed to its limits can rival not only the Hubble Space Telescope when it comes to angular resolution, but also the James Webb Space Telescope," Ricardo Salinas, a co-author of the study, said per Independent.

"While we urge caution when interpreting our results, our observations indicate that the most massive stars may not be as massive as once thought," added Salinas.