GQ Muscae


GQ Muscae, also known as Nova Muscae 1983 is a binary star system in the constellation Musca composed of a white dwarf and small star that is about 10% as massive as the Sun. The two orbit each other every 1.4 hours. The white dwarf accumulates material from its companion star on its accretion disc until it erupts, as it did in 1983, reaching a magnitude of 7.2. Discovered with a magnitude of 7.1 on 18 January 1983, it was the first nova from which X-rays were detected.