Unprecedented Observations of White Dwarf Star Evolution.

The discovery of a rare type of white dwarf pulsar, J1912-4410, sheds light on the origin of magnetic fields in white dwarfs and confirms predictions made by the dynamo model. White dwarf pulsars are rapidly spinning, burnt-out stellar remnants that lash their neighbor with powerful beams of electrical particles and radiation, causing the entire system to brighten and fade dramatically over regular intervals. J1912-4410 is only the second such star system to be found and is 773 light years away from Earth, spinning 300 times faster than our planet, and has a size similar to Earth but a mass at least as large as the Sun.