![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/pismis-24.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>Pismis 24, the star cluster seen here in an image released on Dec. 11, 2006, lies within the much larger emission nebula called NGC 6357, located about 8,000 light-years from Earth. The brightest object in the picture was once thought to be a single star with an incredibly large mass of 200 to 300 solar masses. That would have made it by far the most massive known star in the galaxy and would have put it considerably above the currently believed upper mass limit of about 150 solar masses for individual stars. Measurements from NASA\u2019s Hubble Space Telescope, however, discovered that Pismis 24-1 is actually two separate stars<\/a>, and, in doing so, \u201chalved\u201d their mass to around 100-150 solar masses each.<\/p>\n Image credit: NASA, ESA and Jes\u00fas Ma\u00edz Apell\u00e1niz (Instituto de Astrof\u00edsica de Andaluc\u00eda, Spain); Acknowledgment: Davide De Martin (ESA\/Hubble)<\/em><\/p>\n Powered by WPeMatico<\/a><\/small><\/p>\n Get The Details…<\/a> Pismis 24, the star cluster seen here in an image released on Dec. 11, 2006, lies within the much larger emission nebula called NGC 6357, located about 8,000 light-years from Earth. The brightest object in the picture was once thought to be a single star with an incredibly large mass of 200 to 300 solar [\u2026] Continue reading
\nMonika Luabeya <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"