Magnetic stars found outside galaxy are 200,000 and 158,000 light-years from Earth
Astronomers have discovered the magnetic fields of big, blazingly hot stars outside of our galaxy for the first time.
These stars are found in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) and the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), our galactic neighbours, according to Space.
These two Milky Way satellite galaxies have a significant population of newborn stars, making the discovery of stellar magnetism in these galaxies a rare opportunity to study actively developing stars.
It might also provide an answer to the query of how much mass a star can accumulate before becoming unstable.
Astronomers believe that the young stars of the SMC and LMC, which are located 200,000 and 158,000 light-years from Earth, respectively, do not contain “metals,” which are elements heavier than hydrogen and helium.
Because of this, these relatively close stars serve as a decent “proxy” for the first stars in the universe, which date back 13.8 billion years. These stars are too far away to investigate in great detail, even with current technology.
Dr. Thomas Hughes is a UK-based scientist and science communicator who makes complex topics accessible to readers. His articles explore breakthroughs in various scientific disciplines, from space exploration to cutting-edge research.
