Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bengaluru scientists discover a new kind of Stellar Chemistry

Scientists from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bengaluru, have discovered unprecedented stellar chemistry in star A980.

This rare Extreme Helium (EHe) star, located in the Ophiuchus Constellation, was found to contain surprisingly high amounts of germanium, an element previously unobserved in this class of stars. EHe stars are typically hydrogen-deficient and thought to form from the merger of white dwarf stars.