The star system is located 3,400 light-years away.
On Friday, the European Space Agency (ESA) published a stunning image of a mysterious star system. The star is located 3,400 light-years away in the constellation Sagittarius, and consists of a red giant and its white dwarf companion. The European Space Agency called it a “cosmic dance of ice and fire,” noting that it is becoming increasingly hotter and fainter.
According to the European Space Agency, the mysterious stars surprised astronomers with a “nova-like eruption” in 1975, increasing in brightness by about 250 times.
”It’s a tale of two stars: A red giant generously donates material to its white dwarf companion, creating a dazzling display. Red fog? These are the strong winds of the red giant! ️But Mira HM Sge is a real mystery. In 1975, astronomers were surprised by a nova-like explosion, but unlike most novae, it did not fade away. Since then, it’s been hotter but dimmer!” the post’s caption read. The post includes four images that together make up the complete picture of the symbiote star system.
See photos here:
Astronomers used new data from Hubble and NASA’s retired SOFIA (Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy) as well as archival data from other missions to revisit the binary star system.
“Thanks to Hubble and the retired SOFIA telescope, we have solved the puzzle together. Ultraviolet data from Hubble reveal scorching temperatures around the white dwarf, while SOFIA detected water flowing at incredible speeds, indicating the presence of a rotating disk of material.
Between April and September 1975, the HM Sagittae binary system increased in brightness by 250 times. Recently, observations show that the system has become hotter, but paradoxically has faded slightly.
In response to the image, one user wrote: “It’s truly amazing the dance of material exchange between the red giant and the white dwarf.”
Another commented: “This is so beautiful and mysterious, I love it.” A third said: “Great shots.”
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