Recently popular-science websites have been buzzing with news of a new pulsar putting Einstein’s theory of gravity to its greatest test yet. In particular, some tout it as a test of alternatives to general relativity. While the attention this work has gotten in the press implies this is a new breakthrough, that’s not quite the case. So what’s the real deal on these latest findings?
Dancing With the Stars
Last time I talked about how large stars can become a supernova through a collapse of their core. But this only occurs in stars much larger than our Sun. So how can a solar mass star become a supernova? For that, it has to dance with another star.
Mellow Yellow
A new paper in Astronomy and Astrophysics heralds the discovery of a yellow hypergiant star known as HR 5171. Such stars are exceedingly rare, with only 12 such stars known to exist within our galaxy.
Two For One
When planets were found orbiting binary stars, they were a bit of a mystery, because such circumbinary planets would have a difficult time forming. We are now beginning to understand the complex gravitational dynamics that allows them to form.
Superhump
What’s a superhump? And what has it got to do with astronomy? It all has to do with binary stars. Specifically a binary system where one of the stars (usually a white dwarf) is capturing material from the other.
Mutual Attraction
The first known binary stars were observed in the 1800s, but it wasn’t until the 1900s with the introduction of the filar micrometer that decently accurate measurements could be made. This device allowed you to center your telescope on the primary star, and then measure the position of the secondary star relative to the primary. By taking measurements over time (sometimes years or decades) you can start to see the companion star trace its path.
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