tech
February 24, 2026
Something Extremely Strange Happened in Space in 2014: Scientists Are Now on the Path to Solving the Mystery
One of the largest red stars in the universe suddenly turned yellow in 2014. Scientists, 12 years later, are only now beginning to understand the reasons behind this unique and extremely strange event and are on the path to solving the mystery.
TL;DR
- The star WOH G64, one of the largest known, may have transitioned from a red supergiant to a yellow hypergiant between 2013 and 2014.
- This unprecedented change offers a unique opportunity to observe stellar evolution in real-time.
- Over 30 years of brightness measurements and spectral analysis show WOH G64 dimmed in 2011, then became hotter and yellower by 2013-2014.
- Scientists propose two potential explanations: the star is part of a binary system, or it experienced a massive eruption.
- Future interactions will determine if WOH G64 explodes as a supernova, collapses into a black hole, or merges with a companion star.
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