A distant star has attracted astronomers’ attention over the past decade due to repeated bright outbursts that initially resembled the precursors of an imminent supernova.
Based on its luminosity and timing, scientists speculated that the star might be on the verge of a catastrophic core‑collapse explosion.
New analysis by an international research team indicates that the outbursts are not caused by an impending supernova but by gravitational interaction with a previously unseen companion star.
The companion perturbs the outer layers of the visible star, producing periodic energy releases that mimic supernova‑like signals without an actual explosive event.