Science, Discovery, Tech and Environment · 16 January 2026
Durham University-led team detects impossible bow shock from discless white dwarf RXJ0528+2838
Exam-focused facts from the 16 January 2026 current affairs briefing.
Key facts
- A powerful outflow generating a persistent bow shock has been discovered around the white dwarf RXJ0528+2838, 730 light-years away.
- The star is described as a ‘supposedly quiet, discless system’ yet drives a spectacular nebula.
- The shock wave indicates the dead star has been ejecting material for at least 1,000 years, contradicting current understanding.
- Researchers state the finding challenges the standard picture of how matter moves and interacts in extreme binary systems.