Artist’s depiction of binary star system MACHO 80.7443.1718, with huge waves rising on the larger star
Melissa Weiss/Center for Astrophysics/Harvard & Smithsonian
Towering waves more three times the size of the sun are crashing on an enormous, distant star.
The star in question is paired with another in a highly elliptical orbit. As the stars swing close together, their gravities pull on each other to produce tidal waves, much like how the moon creates tides on Earth. This stretches the stars, causing them to bulge out at the equator, which makes them seem brighter for a while. …
