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Unusual Or Unexplained Stars We Discovered in 2019 - 2 Hour Compilation

Anton Petrov・116 minutes read

The Andromeda galaxy is two and a half million light-years away and experiencing frequent Novae explosions in star M31N 2008-12a, caused by white dwarf mass accretion. Scientists predict the star will eventually go supernova within the next 40,000 years, shedding light on celestial object complexity.

Insights

Andromeda galaxy is 2.5 million light-years away from the Milky Way.
Novae explosions in M31N 2008-12a are caused by mass accretion onto a white dwarf from its partner star.
Tabby's Star dimming likely due to dust from eccentric exomoon evaporating.
Three-body problem can lead to hypervelocity stars like S5 HVS1.
Magnetars have extreme magnetic fields, transforming atoms and posing unique challenges for scientific understanding.

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Recent questions

What causes Novae explosions in stars?
Novae explosions are caused by white dwarfs accreting mass from their partner stars, leading to nuclear explosions.

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Summary

00:00

"Novae explosions in Andromeda's star system"

The Andromeda galaxy is about two and a half million light-years away from the Milky Way.
A star in the Andromeda galaxy, M31N 2008-12a, is experiencing frequent explosions known as Novae.
Novae are different from Type 1a supernovae, occurring around white dwarfs in binary systems.
Novae explosions are caused by the white dwarf accreting mass from its partner star, leading to a nuclear explosion.
The Novae explosions in M31N 2008-12a are happening much more frequently than usual, creating a 400-light-year super remnant.
Scientists believe the increased frequency of Novae in M31N 2008-12a may be due to the white dwarf reaching its mass limit.
The star in M31N 2008-12a is predicted to eventually go supernova, possibly within the next 40,000 years.
The discovery of the unusual star system HD 98800 revealed a circumbinary protoplanetary disk in a polar configuration.
Circumbinary planets in vertical alignment have a higher chance of survival in such systems.
HD 98800 has four stars, with most planets orbiting two stars simultaneously, leading to unpredictable seasonal changes and challenging living conditions.

15:46

Exomoon Evaporation Reveals Celestial Mysteries

The star known as KIC 8462852, or Tabby's Star, has puzzled scientists due to its unusual dimming, which has decreased its brightness by roughly 20% over a few hundred years.
Various explanations were considered, including alien activity, but the most plausible cause was determined to be dust from cometary bodies with eccentric orbits.
A recent study proposes a new explanation involving an exomoon being slowly evaporated by the star, creating dusty clouds that block the star's light and cause long-term dimming.
The exomoon's eccentric orbit leads to its gradual destruction, with the evaporated material forming a cloud around the star system.
The scientists believe the planet associated with the exomoon has likely disappeared, leaving only the exomoon, which is being shredded by the star's radiation.
The discovery sheds light on the common occurrence of exomoons and challenges current definitions of planets and moons.
The study suggests that exomoons are prevalent and play a significant role in shaping star systems, offering insights into outer regions of the galaxy.
Analyzing the dust from the exomoon could reveal its composition and provide valuable information about the star system's contents.
The discovery of the unusual star system highlights the complexity and diversity of celestial objects, offering new avenues for research and understanding in astronomy.
The study's findings underscore the need for continued exploration and observation to unravel the mysteries of the universe, emphasizing the importance of ongoing scientific inquiry and discovery.

30:50

"White dwarf stars create energy, intrigue"

Two white dwarf stars orbit closely, creating energy, astrophysical jets, and gravitational waves, intriguing scientists with mysteries.
These stars exhibit unusual variability, changing brightness periodically, hinting at their discovery.
The stars will take 130,000 years to reach a distance for mass transfer, allowing predictions of their fate.
The stars' proximity is comparable to Jupiter's size, forming a mass equivalent to the Sun, moving closer at 26 cm per day.
Despite high energy production, no strong emissions are observed, possibly due to slower matter accretion.
In billions of years, these stars may evolve into a white dwarf binary, potentially posing a threat to our solar system.
The system is not dangerous currently, being 8,000 light-years away, but may evolve into a catastrophic event in the future.
A study on young stars, like FU Orionis, reveals rapid growth spurts, absorbing mass quickly through accretion disks.
These growth spurts occur annually, lasting decades to a century, with each event adding significant mass to the star.
Understanding these events helps comprehend star formation, with rare observations shedding light on stellar evolution mysteries.

46:15

Brown dwarf accelerates star rotation, cosmic mystery.

A brown dwarf known as ng T has B is causing a main star to accelerate its rotation by falling into it.
This phenomenon is described as a quasi mechanism, where the brown dwarf moves closer to the star, losing mass and accelerating the star's rotation.
The increased rotation leads to a stronger magnetic field and potential for powerful flares, making the star one of the most magnetically active in the galaxy.
In about ten million years, the brown dwarf may either disintegrate or be absorbed by the star, spinning the system rapidly.
The discovery indicates that planets can influence star behavior, rotation, and activity, potentially explaining unusual observations in the universe.
The system's young age of 50 million years suggests further evolution, possibly leading to the star's disintegration or the creation of a new star system.
The discovery highlights the influence of massive planets on stars, offering a new mechanism to explain cosmic phenomena.
Citizen scientists using the NASA program discovered unusual dimming in the binary star system HD 139 139, prompting further investigation.
The binary system exhibited 28 random brightness changes within 87 days, suggesting the presence of similar-sized objects passing in front of the stars.
Scientists explored various explanations, ruling out disintegrating planets, cometary objects, and megastructures, leaving the phenomenon unexplained and intriguing for further study.

01:01:16

"Rare Supernova Sheds Light on Galactic Dynamics"

Earth passing in front of the Sun creates similar dips to observed stars through the Kepler telescope, allowing alien observers to identify Earth as a planet.
Citizen scientists can contribute to science through projects like Zooniverse, analyzing data for scientists through fun minigames.
Different types of supernovae exist, such as Type 1a caused by white dwarfs and Type 2 caused by massive stars collapsing.
Pair-instability supernovae occur in very massive stars, where gamma rays collide with molecules, creating matter and antimatter, leading to a massive explosion leaving nothing behind.
A rare pair-instability supernova was recently observed, visible from a distant galaxy, likely occurring in a low-metal ancient dwarf galaxy.
This supernova is unique as it has been ongoing for years, unlike most that fade quickly, possibly due to the star injecting materials outside before the explosion.
The supernova's brightness staying for a long time is attributed to the star's location away from the galaxy's center, making it easily visible for years.
The supernova likely originated from a massive star that exploded, converting its mass into isotopes like nickel-56 and iron-56.
The supernova's location far from the galaxy's center raises questions about its origin, possibly due to the star being kicked out by the supermassive black hole at the galaxy's center.
The discovery of the fast-moving star S5 HVS1, originating from the galaxy's central region, suggests it was kicked out by the supermassive black hole Sagittarius A*, providing insights into galactic dynamics.

01:16:28

"Three-Body Problem: Hypervelocity Stars and Ancient Discoveries"

The phenomenon of the three-body problem is discussed, involving interactions between three bodies with varying masses and gravitational effects.
Simulation in Universe Sandbox is suggested to understand the three-body problem, using the example of the Sun and two planets like Earth and Jupiter.
The three-body problem can lead to complex gravitational interactions, potentially altering orbits or ejecting objects from the system.
A specific star, S5 HVS1, is highlighted as an example of the three-body problem, where it lost a partner and gained high velocity due to gravitational interactions.
The star S5 HVS1 received a boost in velocity from Sagittarius A*, reaching speeds of around 1,800 kilometers per second.
The transfer of kinetic energy from the orbital energy to the star led to its high velocity, similar to Earth being ejected at 99% of the speed of light.
The origin of the hypervelocity star is traced back to a specific region around the galactic center where many stars were born around 500 million years ago.
The hypervelocity star traveled across the galaxy for about 4.8 million years, covering a distance of 27,000 light-years.
The discovery of ancient stars in globular clusters is discussed, with techniques like metallicity used to determine their age.
The record holder for the lowest metallicity among discovered stars is a red giant located 35,000 light-years away, potentially one of the oldest stars in the galaxy.

01:31:26

Unusual star challenges planet formation theories

Investigating the possibility of planets around an unusual object raises questions about planet formation requirements.
The presence of gas giants around the object challenges current beliefs about planet formation.
Speculation arises that planets formed around carbon could change the understanding of planet creation.
The object, classified as a Generation 2 star, offers insight into the early universe's material composition.
The star's high metallicity suggests it may have rocky planets similar to Earth.
The star's origin from a region lacking supernovae or black holes prompts speculation on its high velocity.
Potential explanations for the star's high velocity include interactions with globular clusters or massive stars.
The star's unique characteristics, such as its similarity to the Sun and high metallicity, make it a significant discovery.
Hypervelocity stars, like the one discussed, are intriguing objects that challenge current astronomical understanding.
The study of magnetars, particularly their powerful magnetic fields and potential dangers, is crucial for scientific advancement and understanding of extreme astrophysical phenomena.

01:46:39

"Intense Magnetic Fields Transform Atoms and Stars"

The magnetic field in this scenario is so strong that it transforms the vacuum into a polarized substance, causing atoms to stretch significantly.
Atoms like hydrogen can elongate to become needles 200 to 300 times longer than usual due to the intense magnetic field.
Magnetars, the most potent magnets in the universe, are formed from neutron stars, creating extreme effects not seen elsewhere.
Scientists have struggled to explain the formation of magnetars, but a recent study in Nature proposes a theory involving the collision of massive stars.
Blue stragglers, like Tao Scorpio, are massive stars formed from collisions in globular clusters, potentially leading to the creation of magnetars.
The Triangulum galaxy, often overlooked compared to Andromeda, is a hub for star formation, producing stars at a rapid rate.
Japanese scientists discovered massive stars forming in the Triangulum galaxy from collisions of large gas clouds, leading to the creation of bright, short-lived stars.
The collision between the Triangulum galaxy and the Milky Way is predicted to occur in about 2.5 billion years, altering the shape of the Milky Way and potentially forming a new galaxy.
Spider pulsars are unique neutron stars that have a destructive impact on their companion stars, like the well-known Crab Pulsar in the Crab Nebula.
Spider pulsars are characterized by their rapid spinning and small radius, posing a threat to nearby celestial bodies due to their intense magnetic fields.

02:01:54

"Spider Pulsars: Unique Neutron Star Anomaly"

Spider pulsars are a type of neutron star that come in two varieties: black widow pulsars and red back pulsars, distinguished by the mass of their partner stars.
Black widow pulsars, like B 1957 plus 20, have a brown dwarf partner that is so close it causes the neutron star to lose mass continuously, leading to the brown dwarf being stripped of its matter.
A newly discovered pulsar, J 09520607, is the second fastest known pulsar, spinning at 707 times per second, almost reaching the limit before neutron stars disintegrate.
This pulsar takes approximately 6.4 hours to complete one orbit and is one of the least magnetized neutron stars observed, suggesting a lack of material transfer from its partner.
The pulsar is an anomaly as it is one of the few active pulsars found outside a globular cluster, indicating a unique and poorly understood phenomenon that requires further study to determine its formation and high spin speed.

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