A pulsar has devoured enough of its stellar companion to grab the title for most massive known neutron star. The post Black Widow Pulsar Sets Mass Record appeared first on Sky & Telescope.
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Radio “Heartbeat” Teases Fast Radio Burst Origins
Scientists have observed pulses from a fast radio burst, suggesting the flash might have come from a neutron star. The post Radio “Heartbeat” Teases Fast Radio Burst Origins appeared first on Sky & Telescope.
Read MoreThis Triplet of Stars Was Once a Quartet
Stellar mergers in quadruple systems might be common, a new study shows. The post This Triplet of Stars Was Once a Quartet appeared first on Sky & Telescope.
Read MoreA Strange White Dwarf with a Chaotic Past
New observations show that both rocky and icy worlds fell onto a white dwarf, indicating past orbital chaos in the system. The post A Strange White Dwarf with a Chaotic Past appeared first on Sky & Telescope.
Read MoreThe Gaia Revolution: New Data and Strange Stars
Astronomers will use the newest data release from the Gaia mission to explore stellar tsunamis, Milky Way history, and more. The post The Gaia Revolution: New Data and Strange Stars appeared first on Sky & Telescope.
Read MoreAn Unusual Source Deepens Fast Radio Burst Mysteries
A new source of fast radio bursts raises questions about how much we really know about these mysterious flares. The post An Unusual Source Deepens Fast Radio Burst Mysteries appeared first on Sky & Telescope.
Read MoreThe Life and Times of Immortal Stars
Under the right conditions, stars could become immortal. How is this possible, and what does it mean for these stars’ surroundings? The post The Life and Times of Immortal Stars appeared first on Sky & Telescope.
Read MoreMystery of the Sun’s Chemical Makeup Lingers
Astronomers think they might have a solution to the conundrum of the Sun’s chemical composition. The post Mystery of the Sun's Chemical Makeup Lingers appeared first on Sky & Telescope.
Read MoreWhen a White Dwarf Turned into a Thermonuclear Fireball
Astronomers have spotted the X-ray flash that precedes a nova. The brief flare is the first sign of a white dwarf erupting into a nuclear-fusion fireball. The post When a White Dwarf Turned into a Thermonuclear Fireball appeared first on Sky & Telescope.
Read MoreA Possible Optical Counterpart to a Fast Radio Burst?
What’s the mechanism behind millisecond-duration bursts of radio energy coming from outer space? A team searched for visible-light counterparts to constrain the origin of fast radio bursts — and found one. The post A Possible Optical Counterpart to a Fast Radio Burst? appeared first on Sky & Telescope.
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