Massive stars gain their magnetism by colliding and merging with other stars, according to evidence from a bizarre binary system surrounded by a dusty, element-rich nebula.
Yet, somehow, about 7% of the most massive stars have been observed to possess a magnetic field. The question that has perplexed astronomers is: How?Breaking space news, the latest updates on rocket launches, skywatching events and more!Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors
An image of the bipolar nebula NGC 6164/6165, which hosts the magnetic binary star system HD 148937. The image was taken by the VLT Survey Telescope in Chile. , is the magnetic one. Based on its temperature, it appears 1.5 million years younger than its companion. This is a significant age difference for massive stars, which typically only live for a few million years before going