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The central square image, taken with the MUSE instrument on ESO's Very Large Telescope, shows shock waves around the dead star RXJ0528+2838. When a star moves through space it can push away nearby material creating a so-called bow shock, which in this image is glowing in red, green and blue. The colours represent hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen, respectively. These shocks are usually produced by a strong outflow expelled from the star. However, in the case of RXJ0528+2838 –– a white dwarf with a Sun-like companion –– astronomers discovered that the shock wave can’t be explained by any known mechanism. Some hidden energy source, perhaps magnetic fields, could be the answer to this mystery. European Southern Observatory (ESO)/K. Ilkiewicz and S. Scaringi et al./Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES. OVERLAY FROM SOURCE.
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CNBC TV18•14-01-2026, 14:14

Astronomers Puzzled by Colorful Shockwave from White Dwarf Star

  • •Astronomers observed a white dwarf creating a colorful bow shock as it moves through space, baffling scientists.
  • •The white dwarf is part of a binary system, siphoning gas from its red dwarf companion, located 730 light-years away in the constellation Auriga.
  • •The shockwave, seen with the Very Large Telescope in Chile, glows in red (hydrogen), green (nitrogen), and blue (oxygen) due to heated interstellar gas.
  • •Unlike other shockwave-producing white dwarfs, this one lacks a gas disk and releases gas for unknown reasons, puzzling researchers.
  • •The phenomenon has been ongoing for at least 1,000 years, highlighting the dynamic nature of space.

Why It Matters: A white dwarf star is generating a mysterious, colorful shockwave, challenging current astronomical understanding.

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