There are stars in miniature format from red dwarfs to the sun-like stars we are familiar with to the oversized blue giants. They can be hundreds of times the size of the sun. A visit is not recommended: there is a lot going on in the area. And yet we owe a lot to the blue giants: the carbon that makes up life or the oxygen that we breathe every moment. Without the blue giants, we probably wouldn’t exist.
But blue giants are not only very rare, they also only exist for a relatively short time: the nuclear fusion inside them only lasts a few million years before blue giants explode as supernovas. And then there is the fact that these huge stars do not usually appear alone, but almost always have a companion star. And if it is also a blue giant, then it will be really exciting!
In this episode of AstroGeo, Franzi tells the story of the most massive stars in the universe: what they look like, why their evolution is so exciting and what we owe them – especially when they appear in pairs. Plus spotting tips on where and how to see blue giants for yourself.