Stars

Astronomers have identified massive rings of plasma around young M dwarf stars that function as built-in monitors for stellar space weather. These structures, presented at the American Astronomical Society meeting, could help assess conditions for habitable planets orbiting these common stars. The findings come from research by Carnegie's Luke Bouma and Moira Jardine of the University of St Andrews.

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Astronomers using advanced supercomputer simulations have discovered that stellar rotation enables material from the deep interiors of red giant stars to reach their surfaces. Researchers from the University of Victoria and the University of Minnesota identified this mechanism, resolving a puzzle that has puzzled scientists since the 1970s. The findings, published in Nature Astronomy, explain observed changes in surface chemistry.

Astronomers have discovered a companion star orbiting kappa Tucanae A that likely sustains a puzzling cloud of ultra-hot dust. Located 70 light-years from Earth, the dust endures extreme conditions near the main star, challenging previous understandings of planetary systems. This finding, achieved through advanced interferometry, could aid future searches for Earth-like exoplanets.

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Researchers have discovered that tidal forces in tightly orbiting binary white dwarfs generate significant internal heat, causing the stars to expand and reach unexpectedly high temperatures. This phenomenon challenges previous models and could explain the early onset of cosmic interactions like supernovae. The findings come from a study led by Kyoto University.

For the first time, scientists have definitively observed a coronal mass ejection from a star beyond our sun, 130 light years away. The event was detected using a radio telescope in the Netherlands, confirming that plasma escaped the star's gravitational pull. This discovery raises concerns about the habitability of nearby exoplanets.

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A study by astronomers at University College London and the University of Warwick reveals that aging stars destroy giant planets orbiting nearby as they expand into red giants. Using NASA's TESS telescope, researchers analyzed nearly half a million stars and found far fewer close-orbiting planets around more evolved stars. This provides direct evidence of planetary destruction through tidal interactions.