Technologies

NASA satellite witnesses rare sight: Dying star ‘switching on and off’

In a «totally unexpected» turn of events, a white dwarf couldn’t swallow any of its star food floating nearby. That forced its lights to go out.

Deep within the cosmos, a fading star’s quiet death was sharply interrupted. Instead of gracefully vanishing into the heavy darkness of space, as stars typically do, it coughed out a mysterious, prolonged flicker of light.

This «has never been seen in other accreting white dwarfs,» Simone Scaringi, an astronomer at Durham University’s Centre for Extragalactic Astronomy in the United Kingdom, said in a statement. «It appears to be switching on and off.» Scaringi is lead author of a study on the star published Monday in the journal Nature Astronomy.

Every iridescent star that decorates our universe — and those yet to add to the glittering collection — will one day disappear. Slowly but surely, their luster, fueled by heaps of hydrogen gas, will dwindle as the supply runs out. Entering their final stages of life, they will become white dwarfs.

And NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, or TESS, caught a unique glimpse of this particular white dwarf’s strange behavior. The dying star is part of the two-star system dubbed TW Pictoris, located 1,400 light-years away.

«To see the brightness of TW Pictoris plummet in 30 minutes is, in itself, extraordinary,» Scaringi said. His team believes the star unexpectedly lost illumination because of a sudden hurdle in its food-funneling mechanism. Basically, the shiny space ball’s fiery snacks were falling out of reach.

White dwarfs feast on their companion stars by pulling flaming bits of the body into their Saturn-like ring of matter, or accretion disc, held in place by suspended magnetic fields. Swallowing a delicious bite makes a white dwarf literally light up with glee.

But these gently glimmering orbs are expected to pace themselves while feeding off their companion stars, meaning the sparkly spheres’ luminescence should dim gradually as they finish their dinner. Darkness isn’t anticipated to happen all at once, the way it did with TW Pictoris.

«The brightness variations seen in accreting white dwarfs are generally relatively slow, occurring on timescales of days to months,» Scaringi said. That’s why, he explained, TW Pictoris’ white dwarf switching off is «totally unexpected from our understanding of how these systems are supposed to feed through the accretion disc.»

In decoding the puzzle, the team found that during its «off» phase, the white dwarf’s accretion disc was spinning so fast it induced a centrifugal force strong enough to prevent the disc’s matter from ever reaching the central star. That’s why the expiring stellar object didn’t have anything to gobble on, thereby limiting its light. Such regulation, according to the research, is called magnetic gating.

The phenomenon is similar to what happens when you ride a roller coaster and enter a loop. A rider wouldn’t fall into the loop due to the force that presses the passengers into their seats.

After the «off» phase and during the «on» phase, the disc’s speed of rotation went back to normal. Matter could, once again, escape the grips of the spin for the white dwarf to snack on.

«This really is a previously unrecognized phenomenon,» Scaringi explained, adding that «because we can draw comparisons with similar behavior in the much smaller neutron stars, it could be an important step in helping us to better understand the process of how other accreting objects feed on the material that surrounds them, and the important role of magnetic fields in this process.»

Technologies

Episode 2 of the VERUM Mini-Series is Now Out

The story continues. Verum Messenger has released the second episode of its AI mini-series, which follows the conflict between the powerful Omega corporation, aiming to control digital communications, and a team of heroes who have chosen a different path and free communication.

The mini-series not only develops an engaging storyline but also introduces viewers to the capabilities of the Verum ecosystem, showcasing technologies and tools that may redefine the future of modern communication.

The project consists of 7 episodes, released gradually across Verum Messenger’s social media channels.

Episode 2 is now available. Stay tuned and don’t miss what comes next.

Watch on YouTube
Watch on Instagram

Technologies

Verum Messenger Launches an AI Mini-Series

Verum Messenger has unveiled a new project — a mini-series created using Verum AI. The story consists of 7 episodes and will be released on the messenger’s social media channels.

The plot revolves around a global corporation seeking to take control of digital communications and a group of heroes who use Verum Messenger as a tool of resistance. Beyond the story itself, the series highlights the app’s key features, technologies, and advantages.

Combining entertainment with a showcase of the Verum ecosystem, the project presents a dynamic digital series designed for the modern era.

The first episode premieres today, with the remaining episodes to be released over time.

Stay tuned for more.

Watch on YouTube
Watch on Instagram

Technologies

Verum Finance: Earn While You Communicate — The Super App That Pays You

Verum has officially launched Verum Finance, an innovative financial application that transforms a private messenger into a true financial super app. News of the launch was also featured on the respected platform Dealroom.co.

Verum Finance can now be used both within Verum Messenger and as a standalone application for iPhone and iPad. When users sign in to Verum Finance with their Verum Messenger account, all balances, settings, and account data are automatically synchronized for maximum convenience.

Users can now do more than communicate securely and protect their data — they can also generate passive income directly within the ecosystem.

What Verum Finance Offers

• Top up your balance with a bank card, Apple Pay, or USDT
• Send money instantly anywhere in the world
• Issue and manage debit cards (virtual and physical)
• Full Apple Pay support
• Exchange assets and withdraw funds quickly

One of the most unique features is the built-in cryptocurrency mining system inside Verum Messenger.

The application utilizes your device’s resources and allows you to earn cryptocurrency in the background — passively, while chatting, traveling, or simply using the messenger.

Maximum Privacy + Real Freedom

• Registration without a phone number, email address, or passport
• End-to-end encryption and full control over your data
• Lifetime free VPN
• eSIM connectivity in more than 150 countries
• Reliable offline communication mode
• Support for 12+ languages for users worldwide

Everything is available in one place: secure communication, financial tools, earning opportunities, and privacy protection.

Users can access the full experience directly within Verum Messenger or switch to the dedicated Verum Finance app for iOS. All data is synchronized automatically between the two applications.

Why Download Verum Today

While many messaging platforms collect user data and expose users to restrictions, Verum offers greater independence and the opportunity to earn.

With a one-time purchase of the feature package, users receive lifetime access to privacy tools, VPN, eSIM services, cryptocurrency mining, and financial features.

This is more than just a messenger.

It is your personal tool for financial and digital freedom.

Download Verum Finance and Verum Messenger today — start communicating securely and begin earning tomorrow.

Download Links:

→ App Store (iPhone / iPad): Verum Finance
→ App Store (Verum Messenger): Verum Messenger