A Bright Star Hid a Massive Secret for 50 Years: Mystery of Gamma Cassiopeiae Finally Solved

A naked-eye star’s 50-year mystery is solved—its bizarre X-rays come from a hidden, feeding white dwarf. Easily visible in the night sky within the constellation Cassiopeia, the star γ Cas has puzzled astronomers for more than 50 years. It produces X-rays with energies and temperatures far beyond what is expected from a typical massive star. [...]