International team of astronomers discovers two rare binary star systems
An international team of astronomers has identified only the second and third examples of a rare type of star system comprising two central stars orbiting each other, encompassed by a remarkable disk of gas and dust.
“If there were a planet in one of these systems, it would be like the planet Tatooine from Star Wars,” says Michael Poon, a Ph.D. student in the Faculty of Arts & Science’s David A. Dunlap Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics and one of two University of Toronto researchers involved in the discovery.
“You would see two suns in the sky orbiting each other. In addition, there’s a disk around the stars. Picture Saturn’s rings but much, much larger—with the stars in the middle.”
Such disks are referred to as protoplanetary disks because they eventually form into families of planets like our solar system. The newly discovered systems are rare because their disks lie at an angle to the orbits of their central stars.
“The discovery of objects like these is important for our understanding of planet formation,” says J.J. Zanazzi, a postdoctoral fellow in the faculty’s Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics (CITA). “Planets are born from them so the existence of disks around binary stars shows it’s likely we will find more planets orbiting binaries.
"They’ll also help us understand whether life can exist on a planet that orbits a binary star at an angle because of how that orientation affects temperature and other conditions.”
The discovery of the new objects, designated Bernhard-1 and Bernhard–2, is described in a paper being published July 4 in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.
The lead author is Wei Zhu from Tsinghua University, Beijing, formerly a postdoctoral fellow with the Faculty of Arts & Science’s Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics (CITA). Zanazzi and Poon are U of T co-authors.
Bernhard-1 and Bernhard-2 are so distant, we can’t see their two central stars individually (such pairs of stars are known as binary stars). Instead, we only see a single point of light and measure the total brightness of the binary.
The researchers identified the new objects by analyzing the complex and distinctive variations in brightness caused by their unusual geometry. A graph of those variations over time is referred to as a light curve and the light curves of the new systems match that of the first such system ever discovered—an object referred to as Kearns Herbst 15D (KH 15D).
The light curves of Bernhard-1 and Bernhard-2 dip to a fraction of their peak brightness—the former for 112 days every 192 days; the latter for 20 days every 62 days. These dips are the sign that one of the stars in each binary is moving behind the disk as seen from Earth. When the star re-emerges, the brightness of the system returns to normal.
Also, when the co-authors compared recent observations with archival data going back decades, they found that both objects varied in brightness over much longer periods. Previous analysis of KH 15D by Poon, Zhu and Zanazzi, along with the work of other researchers, concluded that this long-term pattern revealed that the disk and stars were at an angle to each other.
Because binary stars and their protoplanetary disks condense from the same vast, spinning cloud of material, the disk typically lies in the same plane as the orbits of the stars—just as the orbits of most of the planets and moons in our solar system lie on the same plane. Imagine two figure skaters, holding hands, twirling around each other while other skaters circle the pair; all are skating on the same plane of the surface of the ice.
But KH 15D, Bernhard-1 and Bernhard-2 are rare in that their circumbinary disks are at an angle to the planes of the orbiting stars. Because of this tilt, the disks wobble like a spinning top, a motion referred to as precession, as they move between us and the stars, causing the light of the central stars to dim. For KH 15D, that cycle of dimming could take anywhere from 60 to 6,000 years.
The two types of variations in brightness combine to create the signature light curve of KH 15D-like objects.
The discovery of Bernhard-1 and Bernhard-2 was made when Klaus Bernhard, an amateur astronomer and member of the Bundesdeutsche Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Veränderliche Sterne, analyzed data from the Zwicky Transient Facility. The ZTF’s instrument surveys the entire northern sky every two days, providing data for countless objects over long stretches of time.
Combing through the data, Bernhard uncovered KH 15D-like candidates. He then shared his findings with Poon, Zanazzi and Zhu whose further analysis revealed Bernhard-1 and Bernhard–2.
Now that the researchers have found two more of these rare celestial objects, they are optimistic more discoveries will follow.
“Just this month, Gaia released its most recent data,” says Zanazzi of the space mission that has been observing a billion stars in the Milky Way Galaxy since its launch in 2013. “And now that we have this model for these objects, we’re hopeful we can use it to find more objects to add to the list.”
“We’re also hopeful more observers will look at Bernhard-1 and Bernhard–2 for longer periods,” says Poon. “We’re lucky that KH 15D has been observed at a special time where its orientation causes the light of the central stars to dim. We’re confident that Bernhard-1 and Bernhard-2 also exist in this favorable orientation, so having more observations will increase our understanding of these rare objects.”
IMAGE….Original illustration of protoplanetary disc by Sahl Rowther, et al with binary stars added by Poon, et al. Credit: Poon, Zhu, Zanazzi, U of T; Sahl Rowther, et al, Warwick University
What’s your favourite fairly accurate science film
The chili plant made a deal with their God to only be consumed by things that could spread its seeds and fly. The chili received capsaicin, making itself painful to eat for mammals, but not birds, and all was well for the chili.
Then the human shows up, tastes it, and likes the pain. So now there's this flightless fucking mammal eating the chili. Like not even a fruit bat or anything, a flightless fucking mammal chomping on the chili.
What the fucking shit, God, cried the chili, I specifically requested the opposite of this.
Now hold on, wait a moment, replied the God who talks to plants but has no idea what the fuck these apes are going to do next. It might be something cool.
And in a flash of a second, in barely fraction of the time that chili took to develop capsaicin, the humans went from walking across land bridges and rowing little boats across small waters, into building ships that could cross oceans. More humans tasted the chili, and liked the pain. They took the seeds with them, and planted it elsewhere.
See? They spread the seeds.
They're still not flying, said the chili, still feeling insulted and betrayed.
But before the conversation was over, the humans were still not done fucking around and nowhere close to finding out. The ships became machines, and another machine was invented, capable of flight. Now, not only were the humans farming chili on continents far too far away for any of the birds that originally ate it could dream of flying, but the chili flew with them to lands where it could possibly not grow, so that humans over there could also eat it and enjoy the pain.
You see? They spread your seeds and fly.
It doesn't count as keeping a promise if you only manage it by a fucking accident, said the chili, still somewhat insulted. But nonetheless, the chili thrived.
after the many, many years of being bakugou’s friend, kirishima could say he has never seen his best bud so in love with someone before—so deeply and irrevocably smitten with you.
it was the little things, mostly, that piled up and up until it was so blatantly obvious that bakugou had fallen—and he had fallen hard. making you bentos, hanging around your desk, walking you home… he’d never behaved like this with anyone before, kirishima mused. it was jarring, in a way. but kirishima was happy for his friend, and he couldn’t help but to keep an eye on the two of you whenever he was in the vicinity (whether bakugou knew he was there or not).
lovestruck, was the word that came to kirishima’s bewildered mind the first time he saw bakugou trailing after you. following you like this great shadow around the agency. he never seemed to leave you alone for too long and he’d always have this little pout on his face whenever you’d shoo him away so you could do your own work. kirishima didn’t think bakugou even knew about the extent of his own feelings—not at first, anyways. and when he tried to confront the blond, he’d act all gruff and grouchy, his ears tinted a violent pink.
bakugou could deny it all he wanted, though. kirishima saw right through him.
what really cemented everything for kirishima—really hammered it in that his best friend was finally getting some of the happiness he deserved—was the time bakugou had caught you from falling off a ladder.
you’d been trying to hang up some decorations around the agency—to “brighten things up a bit” you’d said. kirishima had been too far away at the time—but he still saw the moment you’d leaned just a bit too far to the right. the moment your foot had slipped and you’d tumbled off that tall ladder with a small yelp.
bakugou had been exiting his office at that precise moment. and kirishima swore he had never seen his friend run so fucking fast before in his life. a small explosion propelled him forward—charring the wood and frame of his office door. just so he could catch you before you cracked your head open on the floor.
kirishima watched—from his position across the agency, his legs tensed—as bakugou held you tight within his arms and looked down at your shaken form. he watched as bakugou played off his breathlessness as though he hadn’t just dead sprinted across the hall to get to you on time. you wouldn’t ever know, kirishima thought to himself, how desperate bakugou would have to be to move that fast. and kirishima finally relaxed his stance once he saw bakugou set you carefully down on the ground, hovering over you as he scolded you for being so inattentive. you only rubbed the back of your head as you smiled sheepishly up at him. if bakugou hadn’t been smitten before, he certainly was now.
kirishima couldn’t have been happier, really. and he found himself quietly slipping away, a smile on his face at the idea of bakugou finally, finally being in love.
Rich boy! gojo getting all pouty because some guy hits on you at an event he takes you to and now you have a 6 foot GIANT leaning all his weight over you as he whines about not getting attention
[ WOUNDED PRIDE ] GOJO SATORU.
“satoru, you’re still pouting,” you hum, poking his cheek as he huffs.
“‘m not,” gojo mumbles, bitterly turning his head away from you. you can hear geto’s amused chuckle from the distance, making your boyfriend growl out a shut up, suguru under his breath, and because you’re supportive, you hide your own laugh.
“baby, he’s gone,” you cup his cheeks, grinning as he stubbornly refuses to meet your eyes, “you don’t have to be jealous anymore.”
“jealous?” he pulls away from you like you’ve insulted him—like the idea is simply too crazy to hear out loud, “me? jealous? what gives you that idea?”
“toru,” you snort, “you couldn’t be anymore obvious.”
“neither could you,” he accuses, narrowing his eyes at you, “you were trying to make me mad.”
“i don’t know what you’re talking about,” you say with faux innocence, making his arms cross.
and now his lips are even further jutted in a pout, though you know saying something will only make him more upset, so you choose to keep your mouth shut for now. but gojo can still sense your amusement, glaring at you before turning his head away with a petulant hmph.
“flirting with other men is considered cheating, you know.”
“i wasn’t flirting,” you giggle, “i was just making friends. like you told me to.”
“making friends doesn’t include zenin naoya,” gojo glares at you, prompting out a supportive yeah, he sucks from geto. gojo nods, pointing a thumb at geto in agreement, making you roll your eyes.
“you never told me you hated him,” you defend, “but i wasn’t trying to make you mad,” you add softly, cupping his cheeks again.
“yeah you were,” he mumbles bitterly. his cheeks are squeezed together by your palms, and his voice is slightly whiny—and suddenly, you think you fall in love all over again.
“i’m sorry, toru,” you smile gently, “i just thought you looked cute all pouty. i didn’t wanna make you mad.”
“i wasn’t pouting,” he grumbles, “i don’t pout. i’m a man.”
“you cry during movies,” geto points out—and you’re glad there’s no wine in your vicinity, otherwise you think gojo might splash it on his best friend’s crisp, white button down. and you don’t think his father would take kindly to the scene—which would only further complicate things.
“i’m a man with a heart,” gojo scowls, “that’s why i’m not single.”
“okay,” you break up the bickering, distracting gojo with a kiss to his cheek—he grins at the gesture, giving you one in return even though he’s still slightly upset with you (though he won’t admit it.)
satoru gojo is not a jealous man.
that’s what he’ll tell you, at least—but you know better. you can see it in the way his lips alternate back and forth from a tiny pout to an irritated scowl, in the way his eyebrows furrow with irritation, in the way he huffs and tries to act like he doesn’t care when suguru elbows him in amusement.
and it’s not as though you enjoy attention from…whoever it was you were talking to (apparently zenin naoya according to gojo), but there’s just a small part of you that’s lightly amused. gojo is like a magnet—the girls flock to him left and right like a slice of bread left out for the crows to fight for. you’re used to it by now, have learned to ignore the slight creep of doubt and simply ignore the jealous glares sent your way as you take his hand.
but that doesn’t mean you don’t enjoy the change of pace every once in a while—the rare turn of tables that have him irritated instead of you.
naoya is a little too entitled for your taste. there’s too much expensive cologne sprayed on and you’re sure if he could without seeming tacky, he’d have left the tag on his suit to show its brand new. that’s the case with all rich people, you think, too busy watering the roots to pull for the weeds.
you don’t particularly enjoy talking to him—but you amuse yourself all the same. he’s far too cocky when he asks are you an intern for the gojo’s? i haven’t seen you before—
and before you can answer, you hear a familiar voice spit: actually, they’re my date. you don’t even hear gojo come up behind you, and you know as soon as his arm wraps around your waist, your stuck to his side for the rest of the night whether you like it or not.
“don’t talk to naoya he sucks,” gojo mutters. you nod, agreeing with him to console the bitterly wounded pride he seems to be sporting.
“he’s the worst,” you agree, “and his cologne smells gross.”
“i have that cologne,” he gasps, “it’s my favorite. you hate it?”
“no,” you say quickly, “it smells nice on you. everything smells nice on you.” geto snorts, and you shoot him a warning glance before he can make the situation worse.
gojo doesn’t look convinced—eyes narrowed and lips curled in that soft pout of his when he doesn’t get his way. it’s a bit spoiled, just a little bratty in its own right, but makes you melt all the same, pinching his cheek gently as you chuckle.
“if i were you,” geto turns to you, “i’d talk to naoya more. it might humble satoru just a little—”
“if i were you, i’d shut up before getting punched—”
“you wouldn’t land a punch on me if you tried—”
“you don’t know that—”
“actually i do because you can’t fight for shit—”
“i’m an excellent fighter—”
“alright,” you hiss, glancing at the few heads that have turned to watch the bickering between gojo and geto, making you glare at them in slight embarrassment.
“baby,” gojo whines, “tell him i can fight.”
and because his ego has been wounded one too many times tonight, you let him slump onto you, ignoring the heavy weight as you sigh and wrap your arms around him. you’re sure quite a few people are staring by now—but you suppose people always stare when you date someone like gojo.
“you could totally fight naoya,” you agree. you think you’ve finally said something right—because he seems to brighten at your words.
“i could, couldn’t i?”
“yes,” you nod, “and you smell better. and you have better hair.”
“and i’m cuter.”
“of course,” you sigh, eyeing geto for help. but he grins, sends you a small wave with mischief in his expression as he wanders off—leaving you all alone to nurse gojo’s ego back to full health.
© hanmas do not plagiarize, repost, translate to other sites, or recommend on platforms outside tumblr such as tik tok
there is something horrifically grim to it, but illustrations for gaza and palestinians tend to catch more mass attention that actual photos of people. this made me feel incredibly helpless for a long while, seeing both how people would rather look at a neat drawing of red black green and white than look a human in the eyes, and how online platforms would rather push a viral drawing while suppressing those begging for help at the same time.
a way to cope with this feeling has been taking advantage of it to directly guide people to helping palestinians.
if art gets better traction, then there’s an incredible amount of good that can be done by creating art that immediately links to fundraisers. creating art of the many images of those who are asking for help.
within hours of posting my drawing, there has been jumps in the thousands for bashar from gaza’s fundraiser. it’s a small effort in the grand scheme of things. it’s not a fix it. but it’s something good. please take care of each other and do what you can. i think this could help a lot of people if a lot of people did it.
here is bashar. i’ve drawn him, spoken to him, and known him now for a few months. any shares help, any art helps. draw who you see, draw what you see. thanks all
i love how delusional some articles of clothing are, like you read the tag and its like “hand wash only/tumble dry on low” son you are a cotton tshirt. youre going in the warsh and whatever happens in there is in gods hands
just wrote a whole ass megumi fic and tumblr decided to screw up at that exact moment and not process my post which led to me copying and pasting it I HAD THOUGHT into my notes and deleting the draft since it didn’t post BUT LITTLE DID I KNOW it disappeared and wouldn’t paste and now i HAVE NO MEGUMI FIC THATS LOST ME HOURS OF SLEEP and NO WAY OF GETTING IT BACK
see writing is funny because sometimes you have to google things like “can the human body survive with every rib broken” and other times you have to google things like “is there an ikea in manhattan???”
AOT + JJK men as random pics i had saved on my phone
a complete shitpost while i slowly chip away at the rest of my RED (TV) event requests (^̮^) pt 2 & pt 3. hq version
EREN LMFAO, yuuji, connie
porco, JEAN, megumi, getou, yuuta
jean, porco, MEGUMI, reiner
armin, YUUTA, connie, yuuji
NANAMI, reiner, LEVI, inumaki
eren, GOJO, connie, inumaki
NOTE: if this was funny and u enjoyed pls let me know bc i was giggling and it was so easy to do LMFAO. i have so many pics like these in my saved
incredibly scattered poster || 22 || call me ixy
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