Astronomers have discovered an extraordinary binary system, TMTS J0526, containing a small white dwarf star and a hot subdwarf star with an incredibly short orbital period of around 20 minutes. This system, located 2,760 light-years from Earth, provides evidence for the formation of tiny hot subdwarfs through the ejection of common envelopes. The discovery sheds light on the birth of such small subdwarf stars and could help explain their origins in the universe.
Astronomers have discovered the smallest star ever, part of a binary system called TMTS J0526, with a radius just seven times that of Earth and about one-third the mass of the Sun. It orbits its companion, a white dwarf, with the shortest known period for binary stars at just 20.5 minutes. The observations suggest that the white dwarf is deforming the subdwarf star with every orbit, and this finding could provide insights into the evolution of such extreme stars.
Astronomers have discovered an extraordinary binary star system, TMTS J0526, where a "dead star," or white dwarf, completes an orbit around its hot subdwarf companion in just 20.5 minutes, squeezing almost 72 years into one Earth day. This system, located 2,760 light-years away, is significant not only for its incredibly short orbital period but also for providing observational evidence for the formation of a tiny hot subdwarf via the ejection of a secondary common envelope. The discovery sheds light on the birth of such tiny subdwarf stars and the dynamics of binary star systems.
