Eddington's Limit

Eddington's Limit is the maximum brightness a star can achieve when the radiation pressure from its light balances the inward pull of gravity. If a star becomes too luminous, the energy pushing outward can overpower gravity, expelling material and preventing further increase in brightness. This limit helps explain why very bright stars maintain a stable maximum luminosity and governs phenomena like the intense winds of certain stellar objects. Essentially, it defines a natural ceiling for how bright a star or cosmic object can become without blowing itself apart.