Researchers analyzed data on massive O stars and found they appear dimmer and cooler than standard models predict. The study suggests this is because these stars spend millions of years slowly gathering mass. This process delays their full appearance in the sky.
This finding indicates that massive stars do not finish growing before they start burning. Instead, these two phases overlap significantly. Understanding this slow formation helps astronomers predict how these stars influence their surroundings and how they eventually explode.
✦ Massive stars are still feeding long after they begin burning fuel.