“We Found Something Never Seen Before” – Mysterious Shock Wave Around Dead Star Surprises Astronomers

A mysterious bow shock around the white dwarf RXJ0528+2838 is challenging astronomers’ understanding of how dead stars interact with their surroundings. Gas and dust streaming away from stars can sometimes collide with surrounding material and produce shock waves. Astronomers using the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (ESO’s VLT) have now captured an especially striking [...]