white dwarfs

With NASA’s Webb, Dying Star’s Energetic Display Comes Into Full Focus – NASA Science

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With NASA’s Webb, Dying Star’s Energetic Display Comes Into Full Focus – NASA Science

Gas and dust ejected by a dying star at the heart of NGC 1514 came into complete focus thanks to mid-infrared data from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. Its rings, which are only detected in infrared light, now look like “fuzzy” clumps arranged in tangled patterns, and a network of clearer holes close to the … Read more

X-ray Signal Points to Destroyed Planet, Chandra Finds – NASA

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X-ray Signal Points to Destroyed Planet, Chandra Finds – NASA

A planet may have been destroyed by a white dwarf at the center of a planetary nebula — the first time this has been seen. As described in our latest press release, this would explain a mysterious X-ray signal that astronomers have detected from the Helix Nebula for over 40 years. The Helix is a … Read more

Astronomers Catch Unprecedented Features at Brink of Active Black Hole – NASA Science

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Astronomers Catch Unprecedented Features at Brink of Active Black Hole – NASA Science

Radio data from February, April, and May 2024 reveals what appear to be jets of ionized gas, or plasma, extending from either side of the black hole, with a total size of about half a light-year. Astronomers have long puzzled over why only a fraction of monster black holes produce powerful plasma jets, and these … Read more