All articles tagged with #stellar evolution
Astronomers report that the star WOH G64 in the Large Magellanic Cloud has transitioned from a red supergiant to a yellow hypergiant, with ongoing mass loss and heating—a potential sign it is nearing a supernova. The change may result from interactions with a companion or a pre-supernova wind, representing a short-lived but crucial phase in the evolution of a very massive star.
Using NASA’s TESS data from 2019–2024, astronomers identified TIC 120362137 as the most compact 3+1 quadruple star system: an eclipsing binary eclipsed by a third star, plus a distant fourth star with a 1,045.5‑day orbit—the shortest outer period observed in such a configuration. The inner three stars are packed within Mercury’s orbital distance while the outer companion sits near Jupiter’s orbit. The team’s models suggest the inner trio will merge into a white dwarf in ~300 million years, leaving a double white-dwarf system with a ~44‑day orbit.
Astronomers using NASA’s TESS have found TIC 120362137, the most compact known 3+1 quadruple star system: a tightly bound inner triple is orbited by a distant fourth star, with the outer companion about the distance of Jupiter from the Sun, while the inner trio would fit inside Mercury’s orbit. This rare architecture helps scientists study how such systems form and stay stable, and simulations predict the system will eventually merge into two white dwarfs in a ~44-day orbit, a scenario described in Nature.
Astronomers monitoring the red supergiant WOH G64 in the Large Magellanic Cloud report a rapid evolution into a yellow hypergiant, with a temperature rise of about 1,000 C and significant shrinking. This rare color and size change may signal an impending supernova, though researchers offer two possible explanations—binary interaction with a companion or a prior eruptive episode—and the star’s exact fate remains uncertain.
Astronomers may have observed the first superkilonova, a hybrid explosion involving both a supernova and a kilonova, suggesting new insights into star death and heavy element formation, though confirmation is pending.
Researchers used archival Hubble data to test axion models by examining white dwarf cooling rates, but found no evidence for axions, setting new constraints on their interaction with electrons and highlighting the need for more innovative detection methods.
Scientists using TESS data have observed that planets are becoming rarer around aging stars, likely due to the stars' expansion and tidal forces that cause planets to decay or be engulfed, providing insights into the future fate of our solar system.
Scientists have explained the 'impossible' merger of massive, rapidly spinning black holes by considering the role of magnetic fields in the evolution of progenitor stars, revealing that magnetic forces can influence black hole mass and spin, and potentially produce black holes within the mass gap observed in previous theories.
Astronomers captured the earliest image of a supernova, SN 2024ggi, just 26 hours after explosion using ESO's VLT, revealing its olive-shaped geometry and providing new insights into the explosion mechanics of massive stars.
Scientists captured the first detailed observation of a supernova shockwave breaking through a star's surface, revealing a surprisingly symmetrical explosion, which provides new insights into the mechanisms driving such cosmic events.
In 2023, astronomers observed a black hole merger that defied existing physics, involving black holes within a forbidden mass range and spinning at near light speed. New simulations incorporating magnetic fields reveal that these fields can eject mass during a star's collapse, producing lighter, fast-spinning black holes and potentially observable gamma-ray bursts, offering insights into these 'impossible' black holes.
Astronomers observed a white dwarf star consuming the remains of a shattered planet, revealing insights into planetary system evolution and offering a glimpse of our own Solar System's distant future, with implications for understanding exoplanet composition and long-term planetary dynamics.
Scientists observed a white dwarf star, LSPM J0207+3331, actively consuming planetary debris, including a rocky body likely similar to Earth, revealing ongoing planetary system dynamics billions of years after star death and challenging traditional views of stellar remnants.
The James Webb Space Telescope captured a detailed image of the Red Spider Nebula, showcasing the complex gas and dust structures from a dying star, offering insights into the future of our own sun as it becomes a red giant billions of years from now.
New images from the James Webb Space Telescope reveal unprecedented details of the Red Spider Nebula, including its sprawling lobes, a glowing core, and signs of a hidden companion star, providing insights into the final stages of stellar evolution.