Astronomers have directly confirmed four previously hidden white dwarf stars in nearby binary systems. Every system lies within 65 light-years of Earth, and one contains the ninth closest known white dwarf to the Sun.
The discoveries were made by researchers at the University of Warwick and the University of Colorado Boulder. Their findings were published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (MNRAS).
White Dwarfs Hidden by Brighter Companions
Each white dwarf orbits alongside a red dwarf star. Because the red dwarfs appear larger and brighter, the systems looked like they contained only a single star when viewed in visible light.
The new observations revealed that all four nearby red dwarfs were concealing white dwarf companions.
