Mystery of the Universe: White Dwarf Orbiting a Supermassive Black Hole

Astronomers are quite accustomed to deciphering cosmic secrets, but there's a fresh discovery that is probably the most intriguing so far. Scientists claim to have sighted a white dwarf-a super-dense star remnant-orbiting precariously close to a supermassive black hole. This may unveil the mysteries in the extreme surroundings of black holes and the life cycle of stars.

What is a White Dwarf?

A white dwarf is basically the remnant core of a star that's used up its nuclear fuel. Toward the ends of their lifetimes, the stars like our Sun shed their outer envelopes and leave behind an extremely dense core. Though of Earth-like radius, white dwarfs can still hold a mass equivalent to the Sun. So incredibly dense: a teaspoonful of white dwarf material weighs in at tons.

These stellar remnants have mostly been known to exist separately or in binary systems and thus can possibly drain material off a companion star. However, the observation of a white dwarf orbiting supermassive black hole is of first time which brings interesting challenges to astronomers concerning the question.

What Are Supermassive Black Holes?