A Celestial Rosetta Stone

Newton orbiting X-ray telescope has found the first close-up of a white dwarf star

Newton orbiting X-ray telescope has uncovered a celestial Rosetta stone—the first close-up of a white dwarf star, circling a companion star that could explode to form a particular kind of supernova in a few million years. These supernovae are used as beacons to measure cosmic distances and ultimately understand the expansion of our Universe. Astronomers have been on the trail of this mysterious object since 1997, when they discovered that something was giving off X-rays near the bright star HD 49798. The mysterious object has now been tracked along its orbit. The observation has shown it to be a white dwarf, the dead heart of a star, shining X-rays into space. The star is likely to explode in a few million years’ time. Although it is far enough to pose no danger to Earth, it is close enough to become an extraordinarily spectacular celestial sight. Calculations suggest that it will blaze initially with the intensity of a full moon.

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