Extreme Helium Star:
Researchers have uncovered a cosmic twist in a star named A980 that belongs to a rare class called Extreme Helium (EHe) stars, carrying a surprisingly high amount of germanium a metallic element never before observed in this type of star.
- Extreme Helium Star is a low-mass supergiant that is almost devoid of hydrogen.
- These rare and enigmatic stars seem to consist primarily of helium, rather than the ubiquitous hydrogen that makes up the bulk of typical stars such as the sun.
- THe stars are thought to originate from the merger of a carbon-oxygen white dwarf with a less massive helium white dwarf.
- There are 21 of them detected so far in our galaxy.
- These have effective temperatures in the range of 8000-35000 K.
- The first extreme-helium star, HD 124448, was discovered at McDonald Observatory in Austin in 1942 by Daniel M. Popper of the University of Chicago.
