The Star That Would Not Die
Artist\u2019s impression of the star that would not die. Image credit: NASA, ESA, G. Bacon (STSci)\nWhen a star explodes in a supernova, it\u2019s generally assumed that once the afterglow has faded the star will never be seen again. But astronomers at Las Cumbres Observatory have found a star that seems to have refused to die. This month, Edward Gomez chats to colleague Dr. Iair Arcavi, who led the study of this unusual star.\nCloser to home, we\u2019ve had an interstellar visitor in the form of asteroid (or perhaps comet) 1I/2017 U1, or \u2018Oumuamua to its friends. There was a new earth-sized planet discovered around the nearby Ross 128, and a ring of dust found around the Sun\u2019s closest neighbour, Proxima Centauri. And, of course, how would we forget another\xa0pair of merging black holes discovered by the LIGO collaboration \u2013 this time the lightest yet.\nFor our take on all of these stories, have a listen to this week\u2019s Pythagorean Astronomy.\n\n\nAn extended edition of an original\xa0broadcast on 29th November 2017 as part of Pythagoras\u2019 Trousers on Radio Cardiff.\nFor an archive of Pythagorean Astronomy, visit pythagastro.uk.