Specialists of the Special Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences have prepared for publication in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics the results of the analysis of the unique star DDO68-V1. This object belongs to the class of luminous blue variables (LBV) — massive stars in the late stages of evolution, which experience powerful eruptions and shed their outer layers before the final supernova or hypernova explosion.
The dying DDO68-V1 is remarkable in that it is the first recorded LBV star almost devoid of heavy elements. This discovery expands the understanding of the evolution of massive stars in the early Universe. The object is located in the dwarf irregular galaxy DDO 68 at a distance of 41.2 million light years.
Analysis of observations over 36 years showed that the star remained active for almost the entire period, with the exception of six short phases of calm. The apparent brightness varied between 20–25 stellar magnitudes, which corresponds to an absolute brightness of –5.9 to –10.8. After a powerful eruption in 2008–2011, the luminosity decreased by 2.0 magnitudes by 2013.
The recorded brightness fluctuations with an amplitude of 3.0–3.5 magnitudes significantly exceed the indicators of similar objects. This makes DDO68-V1 an important target for further research, as its properties will help to better understand the evolution of massive stars with low metallicity and reconstruct the conditions of the early Universe.
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