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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Will Dunham

Two stars the size of Earth headed towards an explosion - what we know

  • Astronomers discovered two Earth-sized white dwarf stars 160 light-years away, orbiting each other and headed for a series of explosions.
  • The stars, remnants of stars like our sun, will eventually collide due to their close proximity and strong gravitational pull.
  • This collision will trigger four separate explosions, culminating in a type 1a supernova.
  • The final explosion is predicted to occur in approximately 22.6 billion years and will briefly outshine the moon in Earth's night sky (if Earth still exists).
  • This discovery provides insights into the explosive fate of some of the universe's most intriguing objects.
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