Astronomers Identify the Largest Yellow “Hypergiant” Star Known

A stellar monster lurks in heart of the Centaur.

A recent analysis of a star in the south hemisphere constellation of Centaurus has highlighted the role that amateurs play in assisting with professional discoveries in astronomy.

The find used of the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope based in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile — as well as data from observatories around the world — to reveal the nature of a massive yellow “hypergiant” star as one of the largest stars known.

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Interesting but they should change its name from HR 5171 to Old Yeller.

Bubblecar said:

Interesting but they should change its name from HR 5171 to Old Yeller.

“Shoot anything that acts unnatural, and don’t fool around about it. It’s too late after they’ve already bitten or scratched you.”
- Fred Gibson, Old Yeller, Ch. 8

I find it interesting that hypergiants can come in any colour. Because of the way their stellar evolution works, they change colour backwards and forwards and backwards again between red and blue before going supernova. They can go supernova at any colour, making supernova prediction more difficult.