Rare helium nova in our galaxy reveals unusual stellar fireworks
TL;DR Summary
Astronomers have confirmed the galaxy’s first helium nova, V445 Puppis, a binary system where a white dwarf siphons material from a helium-star companion; after a dust-enshrouded outburst around 2000, the now-visible ejecta include oxygen-rich “bullets” racing through space at up to 20 million mph. Studying this rare explosion helps illuminate how such novae occur and could shed light on the origins of Type Ia supernovae, which are used as standard candles to gauge cosmic distances.
- Something we’ve never seen before is coming out of a solar system in our galaxy, astronomers say The Independent
- Mysterious gas 'bullets' race from Milky Way's only known helium nova at up to 20 million mph Phys.org
- One-Of-A-Kind Helium Nova Shot Never-Before-Seen Oxygen-Rich Bullets At 30 Million Kilometers Per Hour IFLScience
- Nature of the Milky Way’s rarest explosion has finally been determined Universe Space Tech
- Astronomers Found Mysterious Gas 'Bullets' Racing Out of the Milky Way’s Rarest Stellar Explosion ZME Science
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