Female students in a red bubble with Professor Katherine Blundell looking up at the night sky through a telescope

Global Jet Watch: discovery of jets in classical novae

Astronomy and astrophysics
Astrophysics

Scientists at the University of Oxford have discovered that classical nova explosions are accompanied by the ejection of jets of oppositely-directed hot gas and plasma, and that this persists for years following the nova eruption.  Previously, such jets had only been encountered emanating from very different systems such as black holes or newly collapsing stars. The findings were made by the Global Jet Watch research group.