SMRTR Science & EngineeringApr 5, 2026Interesting Engineering

Two lonely dead stars break X-ray rules, hint at strange new cosmic class

SMRTR summary

Two white dwarf stars, nicknamed Gandalf and Moon-Sized, are emitting X-rays despite having no companion stars to feed them material, breaking fundamental rules about how these stellar remnants behave. These isolated objects spin rapidly, possess extremely strong magnetic fields, and likely formed from stellar collisions, suggesting scientists have discovered a new class of cosmic objects that challenges existing theories about white dwarf emissions.

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