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The formation of blue stragglers

The formation of blue stragglers


Date: 22 December 2009
Satellite: Hubble Space Telescope
Depicts: Formation of blue stragglers
Copyright: NASA/ESA

This illustration demonstrates the two ways that blue stragglers - or "rejuvenated" stars - in globular clusters form. The upper illustration shows the collision model where two low-mass stars in an overcrowded environment experience a head-on collision, combining their fuel and mass and to form a single hot star. The lower illustration depicts the "vampire" model consisting of a pair of stars that undergo a transformation, with the lower-mass star draining its larger-mass companion of hydrogen that fuels its rebirth.
Last Update: 1 September 2019
28-Mar-2024 13:20 UT

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https://sci.esa.int/s/A1eZkdA

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