Micronova

This artist's impression shows a two-star system where stellar explosions called micronovae may occur. The blue disc swirling around the bright white dwarf in the center of the image is made up of material, mostly hydrogen, stolen from its companion star. Towards the center of the disc, the white dwarf uses its strong magnetic fields to funnel the hydrogen towards its poles. As the material falls on the hot surface of the star, it triggers a micronova explosion, contained by the magnetic fields at one of the white dwarf's poles. European Southern Observatory/M. Kornmesser, L. Calcada/Handout via REUTERS
Science

Surprised astronomers find new type of star explosion - a micronova

A micronova is by far the least powerful type of star explosions now known - less energetic than a blast called a nova in which a white dwarf's entire surface blows up and tiny compared to a...