Pulsars throw out brief flashes of radio waves lasting milliseconds. However, astronomers have discovered a new class of objects that can send pulses lasting seconds to minutes. Researchers have cracked the mystery; they're actually two stars: a white dwarf in a binary system with a red dwarf. The cause still hasn't been found, but it could be that the radio pulses are coming from the magnetic field of the white dwarf as it interacts with the red dwarf.

https://www.physics.ox.ac.uk/news/two-star-system-explains-unusual-astrophysical-phenomenon

"Je mag de openbare weg niet zomaar filmen. De politie weet dat dondersgoed. Dat de politie nu aan alle Nederlanders oproept om een videodeurbel te nemen, laat zien dat de politie de democratische rechtsorde omzeilt. Het lijkt nu namelijk een individuele keuze te zijn om een videodeurbel te nemen of niet, terwijl dit een bredere maatschappelijke discussie zou moeten zijn."

Evelyn vertelde zojuist op @nporadio1 waarom we NIET allemaal aan de videodeurbel moeten.

https://www.nporadio1.nl/nieuws/stand-nl/282ab835-02b2-494c-8a82-ac32a86b9b38/stand-nl-we-moeten-allemaal-aan-de-videodeurbel

Science observations have ended for the #GaiaMission, but the satellite is undergoing some end-of-life testing. ESA has reoriented the satellite, so it is much brighter than usual, making it a possible target for small telescopes. Observers from around the world are sharing their images (see link below), and the image below is a rather nice example.

https://www.cosmos.esa.int/web/gaia/ground-based-observations-of-gaia-spacecraft-2025

APOD from 2025-02-06

IC 2574: Coddington's #Nebula

Dwarf #galaxy IC 2574, part of the M81 group in Ursa Major, actively forms stars in its glowing hydrogen regions. Despite its irregular shape, it shares star formation processes with grand spirals, driven by stellar winds and supernovae. Discovered in 1898, it spans 50,000 light-years.

HD image at https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250206.html#space #astronomy #universe