What is a 'pumpkin' star?

"Pumpkin" stars aren't giant orange vegetables floating in the universe. They're actually stars that spin so fast, they're flattened in the shapes of the gourds.

Astronomers believe the stars "formed from a pair of sun-like stars in a close binary system," according to AccuWeather. "The stars orbited faster as they grew closer. Eventually they came into contact."

These stars then merged to form a fast-spinning pumpkin star.