Researchers have discovered that there are far more massive stars across the universe than previously thought, challenging current notions of how stars and galaxies evolved.
A team of astronomers at European Southern Observatory has looked into the rapid formation of new stars in galaxies dating as far back as 10 billion years ago. They have found that starburst galaxies harbor a lot more massive stars, and many of them are a lot heavier than scientists deemed possible before.
Starburst galaxies, which are characterized by quick bouts of star birth at the beginning, form new stars at a rate of 100 times faster than the Milky Way. Details of the new study, which are published in the journal Nature, show they also produce massive stars seven times more than typical galaxies.
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