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Born in brightness, leading to darkness

Researchers at Kyoto University observe a peculiar supernova explosion, SN 2022esa, which reveals the birth of a black hole binary. The study provides new direction for understanding massive star evolution and black hole formation.

SourceKyoto University·JournalPublications of the Astronomical Society of Japan·TypeObservational study·DateJan 12, 2026

Astronomers surprised by mysterious shock wave around dead star

Researchers have imaged a beautiful shock wave around a dead star, RXJ0528+2838, which challenges our current understanding of how dead stars interact with their surroundings. The team found that the white dwarf has been expelling a powerful outflow for at least 1000 years, driven by its strong magnetic field.

SourceESO·JournalNature Astronomy·DateJan 12, 2026

Rare image of Tatooine-like planet is closest to its twin stars yet

Astronomers at Northwestern University have directly imaged a Tatooine-like exoplanet orbiting two suns, revealing unique insights into how planets form around multiple stars. The discovery provides an unprecedented look at the complex dynamics of binary systems and offers new opportunities to test theories of planet formation.

SourceNorthwestern University·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·TypeObservational study·DateDec 11, 2025

The tides are changing for white dwarfs

Recent studies reveal a class of short period binary systems where white dwarfs are inflated and their surface temperatures can reach 10-30 thousand degrees Kelvin. Tidal forces can strongly influence the evolution of these stars, causing them to inflate and increase in temperature.

SourceKyoto University·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateOct 13, 2025

Rare quadruple star system could unlock mystery of brown dwarfs

Astronomers have identified an extremely rare hierarchical quadruple star system consisting of a pair of cold brown dwarfs orbiting two young red dwarf stars. The discovery provides a unique cosmic laboratory for studying these mysterious objects, which are too big to be considered planets but also lack the mass to be full-fledged stars.

SourceRoyal Astronomical Society·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·DateAug 19, 2025

Gemini North discovers long-predicted stellar companion of Betelgeuse

The Gemini North telescope has detected the long-predicted companion star of Betelgeuse for the first time. The companion star is six magnitudes fainter than Betelgeuse and has an estimated mass of around 1.5 times that of the Sun, confirming the presence of a stellar companion orbiting the red supergiant.

SourceAssociation of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA)·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·DateJul 21, 2025

Public take the lead in discovery of new exploding star

Kilonova Seekers, a public participation project, has announced its first major discovery - a bright exploding star named GOTO0650. The team collected highly complete dataset on the star through fast response from volunteers, suggesting it's a period bouncer and rare object to find in wide-field imaging surveys.

SourceUniversity of Warwick·JournalAstronomy and Astrophysics·TypeExperimental study·DateJul 1, 2025

New method of measuring gravity with 3D velocities of wide binary stars is developed and confirms modified gravity at low acceleration

Astrophysicist Kyu-Hyun Chae develops a new method to measure gravity with 3D velocities of wide binary stars, confirming modified gravity at low acceleration. The results show that standard gravity is outside the 99.997% probability range for internal accelerations below 1 nm/s^2.

SourceSejong University·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateMay 27, 2025

Scientists discover how stellar-mass black holes emit powerful plasma jets

Researchers have discovered key conditions needed for a stellar black hole to create plasma jets, including the rapid shrinkage of superheated gas material towards the black hole. This study reveals that jets form under dynamic conditions, providing insights into galaxy evolution and the properties of black holes.

SourceNagoya University·JournalPublications of the Astronomical Society of Japan·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateApr 8, 2025

First radio pulses traced to dead-star binary

An international team has traced radio pulses to a binary system with a dead star, where a red dwarf and white dwarf orbit each other, emitting a radio blast every two hours. This discovery shows that the movement of stars within a binary system can also emit long-period radio bursts.

SourceNorthwestern University·JournalNature Astronomy·TypeObservational study·DateMar 12, 2025

Einstein Probe catches X-ray odd couple

Scientists discovered a rare binary system consisting of a massive Be star and a compact white dwarf, with the Einstein Probe catching the X-ray signal from its initial flare-up to its fading away. The analysis revealed clues about the elements present in the exploding material, including nitrogen, oxygen, and neon.

SourceEuropean Space Agency·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·TypeObservational study·DateFeb 18, 2025

Astronomers discover first pairs of white dwarf and main sequence stars in clusters, shining new light on stellar evolution

The discovery provides a unique way to investigate the extreme phase of stellar evolution, bridging the gap between the earliest and final stages of binary star systems. This breakthrough could help explain cosmic events like supernova explosions and gravitational waves.

SourceUniversity of Toronto·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateNov 19, 2024

First time brown dwarfs seen so near host stars

For the first time, a team of French scientists has observed brown dwarfs orbiting very close to bright stars using precise astronomical imaging. The findings provide new insights into the formation of these unusual celestial objects and massive exoplanets.

SourceCNRS·JournalAstronomy and Astrophysics·DateJun 20, 2024

What happens when neutron stars collide?

New simulations show that neutrinos created during neutron star collisions can be trapped at the interface of merging stars and interact with matter for 2-3 milliseconds. This brief out-of-equilibrium phase is crucial in understanding the physics of these extreme events.

SourcePenn State·JournalPhysical Review Letters·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateJun 18, 2024

High-precision measurements challenge our understanding of Cepheids

A new dataset from the VELOCE project has collected over 18,000 high-precision measurements of Cepheid radial velocities, providing insights into the structure and evolution of these stars. The data reveal complex patterns in pulsations that cannot be explained by traditional models, suggesting intricate processes within the stars.

SourceEcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne·JournalAstronomy and Astrophysics·DateJun 14, 2024

Gemini south reveals origin of unexpected differences in giant binary stars

Astronomers confirm that chemical composition differences in binary stars can be traced back to the earliest stages of their formation. The study used precise spectrographic measurements to rule out two explanations and confirmed primordial inhomogeneities within the molecular cloud as the origin of the discrepancies.

Astronomers find evidence that blue supergiant stars can be formed by the merger of two stars

A team of astrophysicists simulated models of stellar mergers and analyzed 59 early B-type blue supergiants in the Large Magellanic Cloud. The study found that mergers can reproduce the surface composition of a large fraction of the sample, suggesting they may be the dominant channel to produce blue supergiants.

SourceInstituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC)·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·DateMar 21, 2024

“Triple star” discovery could revolutionise understanding of stellar evolution

Research by University of Leeds scientists has found evidence that massive Be stars may exist in triple systems, challenging current theories on their formation. The discovery could have significant impacts on our understanding of black holes, neutron stars, and gravitational wave sources.

SourceUniversity of Leeds·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·TypeObservational study·DateNov 20, 2023

Direct evidence for modified gravity at low acceleration from Gaia observations of wide binary stars

A new study by Kyu-Hyun Chae found conclusive evidence for the breakdown of standard gravity in low acceleration limit using up to 26,500 wide binaries observed by Gaia. The results show a boost factor of 30-40% higher than Newton-Einstein prediction, meeting conventional criteria of 5 sigma significance.

SourceSejong University·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateAug 11, 2023