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SPACE: Star Births Its Own Twin – Live Science

a star is born

A close-up look at the birth of a star has revealed a surprise: Not one new stellar body, but two. In 2017, scientists using a new array of radio telescopes in the Chilean desert were observing a massive young star named MM 1a in an active star-forming region of the galaxy more than 10,000 light-years away. As they analyzed the data, they realized that MM 1a was accompanied by a second, fainter object, which they dubbed MM 1b. This, they found, was the first star’s smaller sibling, formed from the spray of dust and gases it holds in its gravitational … Read more

SCIENCE: This Woman Is Her Own Twin: What Is Chimerism?

chimera

Twins often feel like they have a special connection, but for one California woman, the connection is particularly visceral — she is her own twin. The woman, singer Taylor Muhl, has a condition called chimerism, meaning she has two sets of DNA, each with the genetic code to make a separate person. The rare condition can happen during fetal development; in Muhl’s case, she had a fraternal twin that she absorbed in the womb, she told People magazine. The condition explains why Muhl has what appears to be a large birthmark on her torso. One side has a different skin … Read more