A brilliant cluster in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a companion galaxy to the Milky Way, is home to many young, hot, massive stars, including the most massive yet seen. The cluster, R136, is part of a larger complex of stars and gas known as 30 Doradus. This complex has given birth to thousands of stars in the last few million years, with more still taking shape. Its most impressive star, R136a, may be 250 times as massive as the Sun. [NASA/J. Trauger/J. Westphal]
Find out more in our radio program entitled Heaviest Star.