White dwarf stars that are found paired with other stars draw hydrogen from their companions, like zombies feeding on their fellow stars. When the gas encounters the piping hot surface of the white dwarf, the hydrogen atoms fuse into helium, triggering an explosion. These events are known as novae.

"Such detonations make the entire surface of the white dwarf burn and shine brightly for several weeks," said study coauthor Nathalie Degenaar, an astronomer and assistant professor at the University of Amsterdam, in a statement.

 

Micronovae are smaller than typical novae and only last for a few hours.

 

Micronovae explosions occur on white dwarfs that have strong magnetic fields, which send material toward the star's poles. This trajectory causes the hydrogen fusion reactions to occur in more localized spots at the magnetic poles.