New research using data from European Southern Observatory telescopes, including the Very Large Telescope, has revealed that the hottest and brightest stars, known as O stars, are often found in close pairs. Many of these binaries transfer mass from one star to another, a kind of stellar vampirism depicted in this artist's impression.
Credits
Illustration: ESA, NASA, L. Calcada (ESO), and S.E. de Mink (STScI);Science: ESA, NASA, H. Sana (Amsterdam University), and S.E. de Mink (STScI)
