A unique binary system of two white dwarfs has been discovered in our galaxy that will inevitably collide and explode with incredible force. The discovery will help solve the mysteries of Type Ia supernovae stars, some of the most powerful explosions in the Universe.
Astronomers at the University of Warwick in the UK have discovered a very close pair of white dwarfs – the remnants of stars that have already exhausted their fuel. The distance between them is only 1/60th of the distance from the Earth to the Sun, and they are getting closer every day. They orbit around a common center of mass in an orbit that takes about 14 hours. Already on the verge of flaring, white dwarfs will complete a spin in just 30-40 seconds. This discovery is published in Nature Astronomy.
These stars are predicted to collide in 23 billion years, causing a Type Ia supernova explosion. Its luminosity will be 10 times the brightness of the Moon, and it will be visible in the vast expanse of space.
This system is the first confirmed case of binary white dwarfs in our galaxy that could become a supernova. It supports the theory that such catastrophic events often start with pairs like this.
Critical limit
Type Ia supernovae occur when a white dwarf “steals” mass from a neighboring star until it reaches a critical limit. An explosion of this type is a key tool for measuring distances in space because its luminosity is always the same.
Although the explosion will happen very soon, astronomers are now studying this binary system with powerful telescopes. The system has a record total mass of 1.56 solar masses, making it an ideal object for research.
“This is an incredibly valuable finding,” says James Munday, the study leader, ”It gives us a unique chance to understand how stars evolve before a grand explosion.
Is an explosion threatening the Earth?
Fortunately, the system is 150 light-years away, so this explosion does not threaten Earth.
True, by that time the Earth may no longer exist, because in 5 billion years our Sun will turn into a Red Giant, which will literally destroy our planet, turning it into a “red-hot frying pan”. Unless the Sun consumes the Earth in another 2 billion years, our planet will remain cold and dead in orbit around a white dwarf, a remnant of our star that will become a planetary nebula.
Earlier we reported on how the 1604 star explosion changed our understanding of the Universe.
According to phys.org
