Space

NASA’s Chandra Finds Source of Star’s Mysterious Outbursts

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Briefings

Astronomers discovered a companion object orbiting the luminous blue variable star AT 2016blu in galaxy NGC 4559, which triggers repeated X-ray outbursts every 113 days. The star, estimated at 33 times the mass of the Sun, is not destroyed during these events but instead feeds material onto a black hole or neutron star, creating a hot accretion disk that emits X-rays. This is the first X-ray detection of such a system and the first of its kind with a black hole or neutron star companion, marking a significant advance in understanding violent stellar eruptions.

Key points

• AT 2016blu is a luminous blue variable star in galaxy NGC 4559 approximately 30 million light-years from Earth, estimated to have a mass of at least 33 times that of the Sun.
• The star undergoes repeated X-ray outbursts every 113 days, feeding material onto a compact companion (black hole or neutron star) that heats up to produce bright X-ray emissions.

Context

This discovery resolves the mystery of AT 2016blu's behavior, which previously appeared to mimic supernova explosions but was not destroyed. The system involves a massive star orbiting a compact object, creating a high-speed accretion disk that glows in X-rays. This finding helps explain the connection between ultra-luminous X-ray sources and violent stellar eruptions, with implications for understanding stellar evolution.

Limitations

The study relies on Chandra X-ray data and SDSS optical images, with specific observations from March 2026. The exact nature of the companion (black hole vs. neutron star) remains uncertain, and the study does not provide causal claims about the physical mechanisms beyond the observed accretion process.

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