The star that won't stop exploding

Every four years, the white dwarf detonates in one of the most violent ways ever seen

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One of the hottest novae on record has been spotted exploding with a temperature of over 3 million °C (5.4 million °F).

Novae occur when a white dwarf steals material from a larger companion star. The gas gathers on the white dwarf until it erupts. In some cases, the dwarf star then resumes its gas theft, restarting the cycle.