Nova explosion (VIDEO)
Caption
The binary star system RS Ophiuchi consists of a red giant and a white dwarf. The dying giant star feeds the white dwarf with matter shedding its outer hydrogen layer as the gas flows onto the nearby white dwarf. This flow of matter continues, until the white dwarf over(h)eats itself. The temperature and pressure in the newly gained stellar shells become too large and are flung away in a gigantic thermonuclear explosion. The dwarf star remains intact and the cycle begins again – until the spectacle repeats itself.
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superbossa.com/MPP
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