WOH G64, one of the largest stars known, was fading. Astronomers thought it was dying. They were wrong.
Sandeep K S
Jan 28
1 min read
The Enigma of WOH G64 solved. Once thought to evolve into a rare yellow hypergiant, this record-breaking red supergiant reveals its true nature through erratic fading and spectral changes. Using the SALT telescope, scientists detected titanium oxide, confirming it remains a cool red supergiant. The unusual activity is traced to a hidden companion star altering its atmosphere.
Scientists have uncovered the first robust evidence of a black hole and neutron star crashing together while orbiting in an oval path, challenging long-standing assumptions about cosmic pair formation.
Most neutron star-black hole pairs are expected to adopt circular orbits long before merging, their orbits slowly rounded out by the constant emission of gravitational waves over millions of years.
Far from the warmth of any star, moons orbiting rogue gas giants might harbor oceans of liquid water—and potentially complex life—for billions of years.
Liquid water is considered essential for life. Surprisingly, however, stable conditions that are conducive to life could exist far from any sun.
Look up on a clear night and you'll see the streaks of our modern satellite networks. What you don't see is the growing fallout for the atmosphere that keeps us alive.
A wave of satellite launches and reentries is changing the chemistry and physics of the middle and upper atmosphere. Studies warn of ozone depletion, stratospheric heating, and new metal aerosols from burning spacecraft.
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