Clash of Stars Solves Stellar Mystery in Binary Star System HD 148937 | ESO

Clash of Stars Solves Stellar Mystery in Binary Star System HD 148937 | ESO

Nine years’ worth of data from the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) and other telescopes has revealed the mysterious past of an unusual pair of stars. The study reveals odd differences between these stars for a binary system—one of the stars appears younger and, unlike the other, is magnetic. The pair is also surrounded by a nebula hundreds of times younger than them. Astronomers believe this couple was originally a trio, in which two of the stars were much closer than the third and eventually clashed, violently merging into a younger, magnetic star. This event also released the nebula that now surrounds the stars. This video summarizes the discovery. 

Video Credits: European Southern Observatory (ESO)

Directed by: Angelos Tsaousis and Martin Wallner

Editing: Angelos Tsaousis

Written by: Elena Reiriz Martínez, Louisa Spillman, Davor Curic

Footage and photos: ESO/Luis Calçada, Martin Kornmesser, Angelos Tsaousis, Babak Tafreshi, Mahdi Zamani, VPHAS+ team

Scientific consultants: Paola Amico, Mariya Lyubenova

Acknowledgments: Cambridge Astronomical Survey Unit (CASU)

Release Date: April 4, 2024

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