Scientists shocked by ‘greedy’ white dwarf star devouring its twin
The white dwarf star currently consuming its twin
- Scientists have identified a "greedy" white dwarf star, V Sagittae, which is “going thermonuclear” as it rapidly devours its twin star.
- The double star system, located 10,000 light-years from Earth, orbits every 12.3 hours, with the white dwarf's intense feeding causing it to burn unusually bright.
- Professor Phil Charles explained that V Sagittae's extreme brightness, a mystery since its 1902 discovery, is due to the white dwarf "sucking the life out of its companion star."
- Dr Pasi Hakala's team discovered a giant ring of gas around the stars, formed because the white dwarf cannot consume all the mass transferred from its twin.
- Astronomers predict that the system's frantic lurching indicates an imminent, violent end, with a potential supernova explosion so bright it would be visible from Earth even in daylight.