RS Ophiuchi

Artist's impression of the explosion of RS Ophiuchi
Credit: David A. Hardy/www.astroart.org & PPARC.

A movie can be found here (credit Dr Andrew Beardmore, University of Leicester) depicting a nova outburst similar to the RS Ophiuchi system, where a white dwarf (centre), which has steadily been accreting material from a red giant companion, undergoes a thermonuclear explosion on its surface. The ejecta gain speeds around 3000 km/s and pass the red giant in less than 2 days.

UK Swift Science Data Centre Last updated 2010 February 08 Web page maintained by Kim Page ()