Flare found on ultra-fast rotating star puzzles astronomers

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Doppler maps of the highly active star BO Mic (Speedy Mic) at different rotation phases (indicated on top of the maps). Spot coverage is rendered as black dark and light orange areas representing 100 67 and 33 spot coverage respectively. A few spots ...
Doppler maps of the highly active star BO Mic ('Speedy Mic') at different rotation phases (indicated on top of the maps). Spot coverage is rendered as black, dark and light orange areas, representing 100%, 67% and 33% spot coverage, respectively. A few spots are near the visible pole, while most spots are asymmetrically distributed at mid-latitudes. The blue circle indicates the flare observed in October 2006 using ESO's VLT and ESA's XMM-Newton satellite. Grid lines mark latitudes and longitudes in 30 degrees steps. Credit: ESO

Using observations from ESO’s VLT, astronomers were able for the first time to reconstruct the site of a flare on a solar-like star located 150 light years away. The study of this young star, nicknamed ‘Speedy Mic’ because of its fast rotation, will help scientists better understand the youth of our Sun.


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