Dead stars could break one of physics' most famous limits

A surprising new discovery suggests that some dead stars can grow far more massive than scientists once thought possible. Computer simulations show that powerful magnetic fields could allow white dwarfs to reach 2.4 times the mass of the Sun, dramatically exceeding a famous limit

A surprising new discovery suggests that some dead stars can grow far more massive than scientists once thought possible. Computer simulations show that powerful magnetic fields could allow white dwarfs to reach 2.4 times the mass of the Sun, dramatically exceeding a famous limit that has stood for decades. The findings could help explain unusually bright supernova explosions that have long puzzled astronomers.