* Astronomy

XMM-Newton:Pulsating X-rays allow XMM-Newton to unmask a mysterious star

XMM-Newton has revealed a unique star. It is a celestial chimera with the body of a normal massive star yet the magnetic field of a dead, stellar dwarf. This makes it a singular object among the billions of known stars.
The race is now on to understand why it behaves in this way because the work hints at an unanticipated link between the deep interior of a star and the surrounding atmosphere.
The star is known only by its catalogue designation, Xi¹ Canis Majoris. It lies some 1400 light years away yet it can be seen with the naked eye in the constellation Canis Major.
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