Astronomers discover smallest and heaviest white dwarf ever
Channel: Absolute Cosmos
Date: 2021-07-01

Astronomers have discovered the smallest and heaviest white dwarf yet. The stellar remnant, dubbed ZTF J1901+1458, is a truly extreme object with an incredible magnetic field and fast rotation. The star has a radius of about 2140 kilometers but has a mass of about 1.3 times that of the Sun. While most white dwarfs form from single stars at the ends of their lives, this one’s extreme mass indicates that it may be the end result of a merger of two white dwarfs.
Research paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03615-y
Read more: https://phys.org/news/2021-06-white-dwarf-edge.html
Music: Awakening by Ella Joy Meir
#space #whitedwarfstars #absolutecosmos