All articles tagged with #binary stars
Astronomers argue there may be hundreds to thousands of Tatooine‑like exoplanets in the Milky Way, but the observed scarcity of circumbinary worlds stems from a GR‑driven resonance in tight binary systems that destabilizes planetary orbits, combined with biases in Kepler/TESS detections that make these planets hard to find.
Astronomers detected GRB 250702B, a gamma-ray burst lasting about 25,000 seconds (roughly seven hours)—the longest on record—observed by multiple space-based telescopes since mid-2025; its sustained, evolving profile challenges standard GRB classifications and may point to a helium-star merger with a stellar-mass black hole, while no redshift or host galaxy has been identified yet. The finding highlights potential detection biases against long, lower-brightness bursts and has spurred plans to revise criteria for future missions like NASA/ESA’s COSI and to re-examine archival data for overlooked events.
A new study argues that the longest-lived long-period transient GPM J1839-10 is a white-dwarf–M-dwarf binary whose rotating magnetic field drives radio beams, potentially linking long-period transients to white-dwarf pulsars and explaining the puzzling, repeating radio pulses.
Astronomers using ESO’s Very Large Telescope observed a glowing bow shock around the white dwarf RXJ0528+2838 in a binary system, even though the star shows no accretion disc or obvious outflow. The shock, visible in red, green, and blue, appears to have been powered for about 1,000 years, challenging standard models of how matter moves in such systems. A strong magnetic field could be funneling material from the companion directly onto the dead star without forming a disc, but this mechanism, if real, would only partly explain the phenomenon, leaving the exact origin of the outflow a mystery as reported in Nature Astronomy.
Scientists have discovered a tiny companion to the red supergiant star Betelgeuse, nicknamed Betelbuddy, which challenges current understanding of binary star systems due to its extreme mass ratio, and the discovery was made using multiple space telescopes.
Astronomers from Carnegie Mellon University have confirmed that Betelgeuse has a hidden companion star, nicknamed 'Betelbuddy,' which is a young solar-sized star. This discovery, made using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and the Hubble Space Telescope, helps explain Betelgeuse's six-year brightness cycle and challenges existing models of binary star formation due to the significant mass difference between the two stars.
A recent study suggests that the behavior of wide binary stars at very low accelerations cannot be fully explained by traditional Newton-Einstein gravity, potentially supporting Modified Newtonian Dynamics (MOND) as an alternative explanation, challenging current understanding of gravity and dark matter.
Astronomers have discovered one of the most massive binary star systems in our galaxy, NGC 3603-A1, with two stars weighing 93 and 70 times the Sun's mass, orbiting each other every 3.8 days. This discovery, aided by archival Hubble data and new observations, provides valuable insights into stellar evolution and the origins of binary black holes, highlighting the dynamic and extreme conditions in star-forming regions like NGC 3603.
Astronomers have discovered one of the most massive binary star systems in our galaxy, NGC 3603-A1, with stars weighing 93 and 70 times the Sun's mass, orbiting each other every 3.8 days, providing valuable insights into stellar evolution and the origins of binary black holes.
A new AI system called PHOEBAI can analyze binary star systems in minutes instead of weeks, greatly accelerating the study of these systems and their properties, which is crucial for understanding stellar populations and dynamics.
The discovery of white dwarf-main sequence binary star systems offers new insights into stellar evolution, star formation, and galactic processes. These systems help bridge the gap between early and late stages of binary evolution, shedding light on phenomena like supernovae and gravitational waves. Researchers used machine learning to analyze data from the Gaia mission, 2MASS, and Pan-STARRS1 surveys, identifying these binaries in star clusters. This breakthrough has significant implications for understanding cosmic events and the universe's fundamental processes.
Astronomers at the University of Toronto have discovered the first pairs of white dwarf and main sequence stars in young star clusters, providing new insights into stellar evolution. This breakthrough helps bridge the gap between the early and final stages of binary star systems, potentially explaining phenomena like supernovae and gravitational waves. Using machine learning, researchers identified 52 such binaries across 38 clusters, offering a unique opportunity to study the common envelope phase, a critical yet mysterious stage in stellar evolution.
Binary stars, once neglected in astrophysics, are experiencing a renaissance in research thanks to the Gaia space telescope's decade of cosmic data, which has revealed a wealth of new information about these systems. Around 50% of stars like the sun exist with a binary partner, offering insights into stellar evolution and exotic astrophysical phenomena. Gaia's data has also improved estimations of binary star distances and revealed previously unseen phenomena, sparking renewed interest in understanding how these systems form and evolve.
Astronomers at Georgia State University's CHARA Array have discovered the faint glow of cannibalized stars near their predatory stellar companions, shedding light on the mysterious life trajectories of close binary stars. The research focuses on B-emission line stars, rapidly spinning stars born from intense interactions between close pairs, some of which engage in cannibalism.
Scientists have identified a population of hydrogen-poor stars that are the progenitors of stripped-envelope supernovas. These stars, known as intermediate-mass helium stars, have been elusive to find due to their stripped outer material and the presence of a brighter companion star. However, a dedicated survey using ultraviolet light has successfully identified 25 of these stars, confirming their existence. The discovery has important implications for our understanding of supernovas, gravitational waves, and the light from distant galaxies. Further research is underway to study these stars in more detail and expand the search for more helium stars.