Fact Sheet
RS Ophiuchi
A disk of hot gas around a "dead" star explodes in this artist's concept. The illustration depicts the star system RS Ophiuchi. It consists of a red giant (right) and a white dwarf, which is the bare core of a once-normal star. The white dwarf's gravity steals gas from the red giant. When enough gas builds up, it triggers a powerful explosion, making the system shine thousands of times brighter. [David A. Hardy/PPARC]
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