News in Brief Astronomy

Star that exploded in 1437 tracked to its current position

Historical observations offer clues to the fate of feeding white dwarfs

white dwarf

CANNIBAL ZOMBIE STAR  Dead stars called white dwarfs (left) steal material from ordinary companion stars (right), as shown in this artist’s illustration. When the white dwarf has devoured enough material, it can explode as a nova.

JPL-Caltech/NASA

By Lisa Grossman

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