Binary Star EF Eridanus Baffles Astronomers

baldinux writes "Reuters is reporting the finding of a new stellar object in the Eridanus constellation that may require the astronomical community to create a new category of stellar entities -- that is, dead ones. In the binary system, one of the stars 'gave too much' (Reuters) of its own resources to its partner white dwarf star, resulting in a breakdown of nuclear fusion, thus producing this 'dead' entity. Researchers at Gemini North (click here for images) and Keck II observatories at Mauna Kea, Hawaii, have been analyzing this unique system."