Why won’t the Blaze Star explode? (and how YOU can see it when it does)

Animation of Blaze Star, showing an expanding white dwarf and red giant.

The Blaze Star isn’t one star but 2. It’s a binary system with a white dwarf and red giant. The Blaze Star’s white dwarf has built up material on its surface, siphoned off from the red giant star. Periodically, it “can’t take no more” and explodes, about every 80 years. Despite the powerful explosion, the … Read more