Exclusive interview: IIA Scientists Discover Exotic Star with Unprecedented Germanium Signature, Rewriting Stellar Chemistry

In a landmark discovery, scientists at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bengaluru, have identified a star with a chemical signature never seen before, shaking up long-held ideas about stellar evolution and element formation. Located 25,800 light-years away in the Ophiuchus constellation, this enigmatic object—named A980—belongs to the ultra-rare class of Extreme Helium (EHe) stars and has shown, for the first time ever, the presence of singly-ionized germanium (Ge II) in its optical spectrum.

Dr. Gajendra Pandey, senior professor at IIA discussed in an in-depth interview with ETV’s Sr. Journalist Anubha Jain about the key spectral features that confirmed A980 as an Extreme Helium (EHe) star rather than a hydrogen-deficient carbon star.

https://www.etvbharat.com/en/!technology/never-seen-before-indian-scientists-find-germanium-in-ultra-rare-helium-star-enn25070701873