The Earthball is a fantastic tool for discussing our planet with children, combining playtime with education!

Cecilia Scorza, EU-UNAWE Germany

The Strange Case of the Missing Dwarf

Lurking in this picture of space is a very interesting star system, made up of one white dwarf star and one normal star. The two stars lie very close together and circle each other once every 12 hours. Twice during every orbit one star passes in front of the other. The system regularly dims for a short time as the pair eclipse each other, like a lighthouse but in reverse. An eclipse is when the light from one object is blocked by another object.

Credit:

ESO/Digitized Sky Survey 2

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