Strange Stars

Scientists have discovered a strange new parasitic star. The star was once the small companion of a much larger star. The current distance between the two is less than the distance between the Earth and the moon. When the large star became a supernova it engulfed the other and then became a neutron star. Eventually, the smaller star began to grow and became a red giant whose "outer envelope encapsulated the neutron star. This caused the two stars to draw closer together, while simultaneously ejecting the red giant's envelope into space." The neutron star's powerful gravity now siphons gas from the other star which essentially has only its "helium-rich core" left - the mere "skeleton of a star." Only 8 of these parasitic stars have been discovered.

Whew, that was complicated but we hope we've explained it all right. We <3 astronomy!

PS. We were also shocked to discover that scientists speculate that white dwarfs are made of crystallized carbon - like a diamond. "In 2004, they found that a white dwarf near the constellation Centaurus, BPM 37093, was made of crystallized carbon weighing 5 million trillion trillion pounds. [Or] 10 billion trillion trillion carats." Gives whole new depth to like a diamond in the sky, doesn't it?

PPS. We also loved this article that says black diamonds come from space! We can't get enough of LiveScience!