Chao Liu

Seen as the center star in Orion's belt, Alinlam is a spectral type OB blue supergiant 500,000 times as luminous as our Sun and 30 to 40 times as massive. Thought to be less than 6 million years old, the star's extreme mass is causing it to quickly consume its hydrogen fuel. In as little as one million years, Alinlam may turn into a red giant and explode in a supernova. (DSS, ESA, NASA, D. de Martin)

Of spectra type B, massive blue supergiant stars quickly burn their supply of hydrogen fuel. Surviving often for less than 10 million years, their evolution is difficult to study. But as they consume their fuel, heavier elements begin to appear on their surfaces.

Lin argues that the complex chemistry seen toward the end of these stars' lives is the key to understanding their life cycle. He will use the Double Spectrograph to measure the abundances of carbon and oxygen and other elements in several nearby blue supergiants.