The binary star system NGC 3603-A1 is one of the most massive binaries ever discovered in the Milky Way Galaxy.

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. , Aug. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A team of astronomers led by Dr. Phil Massey of Lowell Observatory has taken the sharpest look yet at one of the heaviest pairs of stars in our galaxy, known as NGC 3603-A1. Using previously unpublished archival data from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and new, precisely timed observations, the team measured the properties of this extraordinary system at a level never before achieved. The study will soon be published in The Astrophysical Journal.

NGC 3603-A1 is located in a dazzling cluster of stars known as NGC 3603, located some 25,000 light-years from Earth. This region is one of the most active star-forming areas

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