Flare Star Gets 15 Times Brighter in Minutes

[DrLeftover]

A normally dull star in Ursa Major, the Great Bear constellation, give off an incredible flare while scientists watched, increasing its brightness 15-fold in just three minutes, before returning to normal.

Dubbed WX UMa, the stellar body belongs to a rare class of variable stars known as flare stars, which suddenly and unpredictably boost their brightness in a matter of moments. But the flares are fleeting; these stars revert to their dimmer state in tens of minutes, researchers say.

WX UMa lies in a binary system in Ursa Major roughly 15.6 light years from Earth. It's outshined by a companion star that's 100 times brighter, except during the few times a year when WX UMa gives off luminous flares.

http://www.space.com/21567-flare-star-brighter.html

 

[Evil Eye]

It's a message!

Making stars flare would be an interesting way to communicate over short distances