VFTS 352 - Binary stars so close they touch

Artist's impression of the touching double star VFTS 352

VFTS 352, in the Tarantula Nebula about 160,000 light-years away, is two massive hot stars orbiting each other in about a day, so close that their surfaces touch and share material. ESO astronomers think the pair will either merge into one giant star or end as a close binary black hole.

Saturday October 31st 2015