CfA research on twin suns, ’Oumuamua, and Betelgeuse
It was a busy summer for scientists at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian. Researchers put forth a theory that indirectly nods to a famous “Star Wars” scene, resolved one mystery about the solar system’s first known interstellar visitor, and showed that a star can sort of “sneeze.” We caught up with them and asked about these far-out findings. A long time ago but not so far, far away It was an unforgettable scene in the first “Star Wars” movie: Young Luke, eager for adventure, storms out his house after fighting with his uncle about having to spend another year stuck at home. Outside he gazes up at the fiery twin suns of the planet Tatooine as they slide toward the horizon, John Williams’ “The Force Theme” rising in the background. While a new study from a pair of Harvard astronomers may not have the same visual power, it does reveal...