Artist’s impression of the hottest and most massive touching double star

This artist’s impression shows VFTS 352 — the hottest and most massive double star system to date where the two components are in contact and sharing material. The two stars in this extreme system lie about 160 000 light-years from Earth in the Large Magellanic Cloud. This intriguing system could be heading for a dramatic end, either with the formation of a single giant star or as a future binary black hole.

Credit:

ESO/L. Calçada

About the Image

Id:eso1540a
Type:Artwork
Release date:21 October 2015, 12:00
Related releases:eso1540
Size:5000 x 3125 px

About the Object

Name:VFTS 352
Type:Local Universe : Star : Grouping : Multiple
Distance:160000 light years
Category:Illustrations
Stars

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