The rejuvenated star V658 Carinae: A fast-spinning survivor of cosmic mass transfer

Star system: V658 Carinae A | Distance from the Sun: 329 light years

Scientists have uncovered the unusual characteristics of V658 Car, a binary star system that has recently undergone a dramatic 'makeover' through mass transfer. The system consists of a rapidly spinning Be-type star and a smaller, hot companion. 

The main star is spinning at a staggering 336 km/s—fast enough to fling material into a massive glowing disk that stretches 42 times the radius of our Sun. Surprisingly, the study found that this star has a much lower metal content than our Sun and is significantly hotter than expected for its type, marking it as a 'chemically peculiar' survivor of its recent evolutionary leap. This discovery provides a rare glimpse into how stars rejuvenate themselves by stealing material from their neighbors.

Scientific study

A chemically peculiar Be-shell star in a sub-solar metallicity solution for the post-mass-transfer eclipsing binary V658 Car (external link)