The V Sagittae system, 10,000 light-years away, is expected to end in a supernova so bright it will be visible from Earth during the day.
A voracious white dwarf star, not far from Earth, is devouring its closest cosmic companion at a rate never before recorded – astronomers have discovered.
The study shows that the dual system, called V Sagittae Located about 10,000 light-years away, it is burning with extraordinary intensity. The extremely dense white dwarf is devouring its larger twin star in a cosmic chaos.
According to the researchers, the two stars are dancing a kind of extraterrestrial tango, circling each other every 12.3 hours and gradually getting closer. This process could end in a massive explosion – a supernova so bright that it would be visible to the naked eye from Earth, even from this vast distance.
The international study involved Prof. Phil Charles from the University of Southampton, led by Dr. Passi Häkelä from the University of Turku in Finland, along with Dr. Pablo Rodríguez-Gil from the Spanish Institute for Astrophysics of the Canary Islands and the University of La Laguna.
Prof. Charles noted that their findings solve an astronomical puzzle that has troubled scientists for a century:
"V Sagittae is no ordinary star system – it is the brightest of its kind and has intrigued experts since its discovery in 1902. Our research shows that the extreme brightness is due to the white dwarf sucking material from its companion, turning it into a fiery furnace."
He added: "This is a process so intense that it causes thermonuclear explosions on the surface of the white dwarf, which shine like a beacon in the night sky."
The researchers followed the process using the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile, and discovered another phenomenon: a giant, halo-like ring of gas surrounding the two stars. It was created as a result of the enormous energy the white dwarf produces and the material it fails to swallow.
Dr. Hakela explained: "The white dwarf is unable to absorb all the mass transferred to it, so it creates this bright cosmic ring. The insane speed at which the system is moving is a clear sign of the approaching violent end."
Dr. Rodriguez-Gil added: "The material accreting onto the white dwarf's surface is expected to cause a nova explosion in the coming years – during which V Sagittae will be visible to the naked eye. But when the two stars finally collide and explode, a supernova will occur so powerful that it will be visible from Earth even in daylight."
The study was published inMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society and available at: doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2507.22637.
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