Astronomers at MIT have discovered a stellar binary system named ZTF J1813+4251 with an extremely short orbit, the two stars circling each other every 51 minutes.
All currently identified stars can be split into two populations or generations. The first is the set of youngest stars. These are metal rich and very hot.
The moon is believed to have formed as a result of a collision around 4.5 billion years ago between a young earth and Theia, a mars-sized body from the gradual cumulation of impact debris.
I have been fascinated by the night sky since I ‘discovered’ Saturn with my 60mm refractor at the age of 10. An APOD-winning astrophotographer, I have been published in Sky & Telescope, Astronomy Magazine, and Space.com. As a NASA Solar System Ambassador, I have conducted thousands of public outreach programs and am a registered cruise ship speaker on astronomy and space science, as well as a Director of the Phoenix Astronomical Society. I frequently post astrophotography images, news, and tutorials on social media. My solar imaging and videos are particularly popular, and I have conducted extensive research on solar cameras and solar image processing techniques.