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Hubble Launches Large Ultraviolet-Light Survey of Nearby Stars

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Stars are not created equal. They span a broad range of sizes, ages, and temperatures from diminutive red, cool, low-mass stars to opulent blue, hot, massive stars. Our Sun is roughly midway between these populations. Because stars are the universe's LEGO blocks for building immense galaxies, astronomers are always seeking a much better understanding of their birth and death. Stars' behavior over their lifespan relates to everything from planets to the formation and evolution of galaxies.

To better understand stars and their evolution, the Space Telescope Science Institute has launched an ambitious new initiative with the Hubble Space Telescope called ULLYSES (UV Legacy Library of Young Stars as Essential Standards). The comprehensive program will build a dataset that can be used to create a spectral library of stellar "templates" for capturing the diversity of stars. This is ensuring a legacy dataset for a wide range of astrophysical topics. Located above the obscuring atmosphere, Hubble's ultraviolet sensitivity makes it the only observatory currently capable of studying stars at those wavelengths of light. Young low-mass stars and massive monster stars radiate a lot of their energy in ultraviolet light.

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