A decades-old cosmic mystery has finally been cracked: the strange X-rays coming from the bright star gamma-Cas are caused by a hidden stellar companion feeding off it. Using cutting-edge observations from the XRISM space mission, astronomers discovered that an unseen white dwarf star is siphoning material from gamma-Cas, heating it to extreme temperatures and producing powerful X-ray emissions. This breakthrough resolves a puzzle that has baffled scientists since the 1970s and sheds new light on how these unusual stellar pairs form and evolve.
Cet article est paru en premier sur le site https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/05/260501052856.htm