Giant young star is growing by 2 Jupiter masses every year, new study shows

Artist's illustration of ammonia gas falling into the accretion disk that's feeding the massive young star HW2.

Astronomers have captured the clearest view to date of a massive young star gulping down swirling gas, offering a rare glimpse into how these cosmic titans grow to their enormous sizes.

The star in the making, known as HW2, is about 10 to 20 times as massive as our sun and lies about 2,300 light-years from Earth, in the heart of a star-forming region called Cepheus A. Despite the thick shrouds of dust that usually obscure such regions, researchers managed to peer through the veil surrounding HW2 and study the gas feeding its rapid growth.