VVV-WIT-08, Giant blinking star, spotted by astronomers near Milky Way
Image Credit: Shortpedia
An international team of astronomers has spotted a giant 'blinking' star towards the centre of the Milky Way, more than 25,000 light years away. The star, VVV-WIT-08, decreased in brightness by a factor of 30, so that it nearly disappeared from the sky. While many stars change in brightness because they pulsate or are eclipsed by another star in a binary system, it is exceptionally rare for a star to become fainter.