'2 stars became one': Hubble uncovers the chaotic birth of a rapid-spinning survivor
Produced by: Mohsin Shaikh
Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA
Chaotic Merger
Hubble revealed a chaotic history where two stars in a triple system merged 500 million years ago, forming a massive star that later collapsed into a white dwarf.
Lurker’s Past
The “blue lurker,” a rare star, survived the merger by siphoning material from its companion, increasing its mass and spinning much faster than typical Sun-like stars.
Rapid Rotation
Discovered through Kepler data, the blue lurker completes a rotation in just four days, compared to 30 days for most Sun-like stars, hinting at a dramatic evolutionary process.
Representative pic/NASA
Triple Drama
The blue lurker originated in a triple-star system, where two tightly orbiting stars merged while the third remained a distant bystander before becoming an active participant.
Representative pic
Hot Remains
Hubble’s ultraviolet spectroscopy revealed that the white dwarf companion in the system is unusually hot (23,000°F) and massive, confirming it as the product of a stellar merger.
Evolution Mystery
Emily Leiner from the Illinois Institute of Technology explained that triple-star systems make up 10% of Sun-like stars, yet their complex evolutionary paths remain hard to model.
Credit: Illinois Institute of Technology
Lurker Discovery
Despite its rapid spin, the blue lurker blends in with Sun-like stars, making its discovery groundbreaking. It was detected in the open cluster M67, 2,800 light-years away.
Credit: NASA/ESA
Unique Story
This system is one of the few where astronomers can trace a detailed evolutionary history, offering insights into triple-star dynamics and their explosive end products.
Representative pic
Future Insights
Leiner presented these findings at the American Astronomical Society, emphasizing how triple-star systems could reshape our understanding of stellar evolution and interactions.