The Zwicky Transient Factory (ZTF) observes the entire northern sky and collects data on as many stars as possible. Combing through the light curves of 20 million stars with periodic changes in brightness, the authors of today’s paper found a hidden gem called ZTF J1539+5027, an eclipsing white dwarf binary with an orbital period of only 6.91 minutes.
Today’s authors check whether twin stars in binaries are identical or fraternal, chemically.
We see that many stars have a buddy star or two i.e. they are a binary or multi-star system. This paper addresses the question: How in the heck does that happen?
How did Lindsay Lohan and Arnold Schwarzenegger find their way into a bite about binary stars? Read on to find out.
Nothing is easy when you have two stars instead of one. Under the right circumstances, it can be especially hard to hold on to your atmosphere.
Planets are occasionally found swallowed by their dying host stars. Where and how often does this happen?