First page Back Continue Last page Overview Text
Notes:
The Eddington luminosity is derived by balancing Thompson scattering off photons with the gravitational force. The upper limit is derived simply by assuming that the star cannot accrete for longer than its lifetime (between several hundred thousand to a million years).
Currently the most massive star known is the Pistol Star weighing in at around 150 Ms. However, for this and other massive luminous stars, resolution limits create uncertainty whether these stars are single isolated stars or unresolved multiple stars