Closest-Orbiting Binary System Detected

During a study conducted on a binary system, astronomers were shocked to see the two stars circling each other once every 4 hours. This means that the objects are extremely close to each other, much more so than experts ever though possible.

Before the new discovery, the closest-orbiting binary system was made up of two stars that orbited each other once every 5 hours. Given the size of a star, the one-hour difference translates into a significantly larger distance between the two.

What is puzzling about the new discovery is that the two stars maintain their individual trajectories, and do not collide with each other, pulled by their common gravity center. Astronomers were convinced that this is what usually happens, and yet the system shows no signs of such a trend.

Scientists say that they will now have to go back to the drawing board, and re-assess how close-orbiting binary systems form and evolve, Universe Today reports.