Many say that nature is perfect as it is, though sometimes that is not the case. That would be especially true when it comes to round objects. One object though might be, as a distant star is possibly the roundest natural object.
Stars by themselves aren't really perfectly round. Certain factors come into play that would make a star's shape different. Gravity would be one, and how fast it rotates would be another factor. One star though is proving to be as round as it gets.
The star can be found some 5000 light years away. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Solar Research and the University of Gottlingen have measured the star using astroseismology, or the study of the oscillation of stars. Through their measurements, they have determined that the star is very round.
The star is called Kepler 11145123. It is a slowly rotating star, which means that it has largely kept its spherical shape intact. The Sun rotates for a period of 27 days and its radius at the equator is greater than that on the poles. By contrast Kepler 11145123 only has 3-kilometer difference between the equator and poles.
The star has been selected by Laurent Gizon and his colleagues, according to the Max Planck Gesellschaft site. The star's period of contraction and expansion is in time with its fluctuation, making it easy for them to study it. Its slow rotation might be one factor why it is round, though its magnetic field at its low latitudes might be a factor as well.
The star won't be the only one that would be measured. Gizon said that other stars would be measured byt he same method, as Science Daily reports. The researchers would want to see how the stars' rotation and magnetic field might affect its shape.
A distant star has been seen that could possibly be the roundest natural object. As more observations are made, perhaps more stars might be found to be just as round. Also, an elusive brown dwarf has been spotted, as reported earlier.
