Related topics: astronomers · stars · universe · dark energy · neutron stars

G344.7-0.1: When a stable star explodes

White dwarfs are among the most stable of stars. Left on their own, these stars that have exhausted most of their nuclear fuel—while still typically as massive as the Sun—and shrunk to a relatively small size can last ...

Double-lined white dwarf binary detected by astronomers

An international team of astronomers has detected a new peculiar binary as part of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). The newly found object, designated SDSS J133725.26+395237.7, is a nearby double-lined system consisting ...

Black hole size revealed by its eating pattern

The feeding patterns of black holes offer insight into their size, researchers report. A new study revealed that the flickering in the brightness observed in actively feeding supermassive black holes is related to their mass.

Why is this weird, metallic star hurtling out of the Milky Way?

About 2,000 light-years away from Earth, there is a star catapulting toward the edge of the Milky Way. This particular star, known as LP 40−365, is one of a unique breed of fast-moving stars—remnant pieces of massive ...

Planetary remnants around white dwarf stars

When a star like our sun gets to be old, in another seven billion years or so, it will no longer be able to sustain burning its nuclear fuel. With only about half of its mass remaining it will shrink to a fraction of its ...

A white dwarf living on the edge

Astronomers have discovered the smallest and most massive white dwarf ever seen. The smoldering cinder, which formed when two less massive white dwarfs merged, is heavy, "packing a mass greater than that of our Sun into a ...

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