Article Posted on : - Nov 29, 2009

galaxies biggest star 'VY Canis Majoris'

LONDON (BNS): The biggest star -- VY Canis Majoris – known till date is struggling for its existence as observed by ESA’s billion-euro Herschel observatory.

According to European Space Agency, the star is 30-40 times bigger than the sun has different types of molecules and atoms revolving around it, Herschel telescope which was sent into orbit in an Ariane rocket on May 14 is doing a detailed spectroscopic analysis on it.

VY Canis Majoris is a colossal star which is 4,500 light years old from Earth and has developed into a Supernova which can burst any time. The star could extend beyond the orbit of Saturn if it was sited at the center of our solar system.

In the vicinity of the Majorris, Herschel spectrometers have discovered some profuse amount of water (H2O) and carbon monoxide (CO).

"One of the most common molecules you see in this type of observation is carbon monoxide," explained Professor Matt Griffin, the Spire principal investigator from Cardiff University, UK.

"That's because carbon and oxygen are two of the most common materials produced in stars and they like to get together, so interstellar space is full of carbon monoxide," Griffin said.