Astronomers catch a star slowly snacking on a brown dwarf, 300 light years away
Astronomers have discovered a unique binary system, ZTF J0440+2325, where a star is slowly consuming material from an orbiting brown dwarf. This observation provides new insights into how stellar bodies interact and evolve over long periods.
Why it matters
It offers a rare look at a 'middle-ground' stellar interaction that helps scientists understand the life cycles of planetary and sub-stellar systems.
by Jennifer Chu, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
edited by Gaby Clark , reviewed by Robert Egan
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:
Add as preferred source Artist's impression of ZTF J0440+2325, a brown dwarf (right) and a red dwarf (left) that orbit each other every 86.65 minutes. The brown dwarf overflows onto its companion, and the stream of material strikes the surface of the red dwarf, heating a large hot spot at the point of impact. Credit: Aaron Householder (MIT) Like Earth, most planetary bodies circle their star in stable, detached orbits. These companionable systems can suddenly change when a planet comes too close to its star. In such a close encounter, a star can pull the planet in and swallow it whole.
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