All articles tagged with #cosmic explosions
Astronomers may have identified the origin of luminous fast blue optical transients (LFBOTs), specifically AT 2024wpp, as remnants of a supermassive black hole tearing apart a star, providing new insights into extreme cosmic phenomena and black hole physics.
Scientists have installed a deep-sea neutrino detector array called ARCA off the coast of Sicily, which has already detected a highly energetic neutrino likely originating from a cosmic explosion, potentially opening new avenues for understanding the universe's hidden phenomena.
Astronomers have traced a mysterious class of cosmic explosions called Fast X-ray Transients (FXTs) back to their source, revealing an event that occurred 12 billion years ago, providing new insights into stellar death and the early universe, and demonstrating the capabilities of the Einstein Probe telescope.
Scientists have discovered the most energetic cosmic explosions since the Big Bang, called Extreme Nuclear Transients (ENTs), which are caused by massive stars being torn apart by supermassive black holes and emit over 25 times more energy than typical supernovae. These rare events provide new insights into black hole growth and galaxy evolution, and future observatories like the Vera C Rubin Observatory will help detect more of these extraordinary phenomena.
NASA's upcoming Roman Space Telescope, set to launch by May 2027, is expected to discover up to 100,000 cosmic explosions, including supernovas, kilonovas, and black hole events, which will help scientists understand dark energy, stellar life cycles, and the origins of heavy elements. The telescope's high-cadence survey will create cosmic movies over two years, vastly expanding our knowledge of the universe's most violent phenomena.
NASA's upcoming Roman Space Telescope is expected to discover around 100,000 cosmic explosions, including supernovae, black hole events, and possibly the first stars, significantly advancing our understanding of the universe's history, dark energy, and black hole physics.
Astronomers have discovered a new class of extremely powerful and long-lasting cosmic explosions called extreme nuclear transients (ENTs), observed in the centers of distant galaxies where supermassive black holes tear apart stars. These events are among the most energetic since the Big Bang, providing new insights into black hole activity and galaxy evolution, and are expected to be further studied with upcoming space and ground-based surveys.
Scientists have discovered the most intense cosmic explosions, called extreme nuclear transients (ENTs), which are significantly brighter and longer-lasting than typical supernovae, occurring when massive stars are torn apart by supermassive black holes. These events, observed via the Gaia telescope, offer new insights into black hole growth and the universe's history, and future telescopes are expected to find more of them.
Astronomers in Hawaii have discovered the most energetic stellar explosions ever observed, called extreme nuclear transients (ENTs), caused by supermassive black holes tearing apart stars, releasing energy far surpassing supernovae, and providing new insights into black hole growth and the distant universe.
Astronomers have discovered the most powerful cosmic explosions since the Big Bang, called extreme nuclear transients (ENTs), which are significantly brighter and longer-lasting than typical tidal disruption events and supernovae, providing new insights into black hole activity and galaxy evolution.
Astronomers have discovered a new class of extremely energetic cosmic explosions called 'extreme nuclear transients' (ENTs), which occur when massive stars are torn apart by supermassive black holes, emitting energy far surpassing that of supernovae and providing new insights into black hole growth in the early universe.
NASA and other space agencies have identified three rare, extremely energetic events where supermassive black holes have consumed massive stars, releasing more energy than 100 supernovae. These events, called 'extreme nuclear transients,' provide insights into otherwise inactive black holes and could help understand black hole growth and galaxy evolution, especially with upcoming telescopes like the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.
Kilonovas are bright bursts of electromagnetic radiation that occur when two neutron stars or a neutron star and a black hole collide and merge. These cosmic explosions eject a vast amount of material rich in heavy elements such as gold, platinum, and uranium. By studying kilonovas, scientists can gain insights into the formation of these elements and the nuclear physics involved. Detecting kilonovas is challenging, but advancements in gravitational wave detectors have allowed astronomers to locate and observe these events, providing valuable information about the universe's evolution.
The brightest cosmic explosion ever recorded, known as GRB 221009A or the "Boat," has puzzled astronomers with its persistence. A new study published in Science Advances suggests that the burst was so bright and persistent because the narrow jet of gas launched by the explosion had a difficult time escaping the collapsing star, leading to a lot of mixing with stellar gas along the sides of the jet. This kept the burst bright for an extended period of time, providing a clue to similarly bright events seen in the past.
Astronomers have observed an explosion 180 million light-years away that challenges our current understanding of cosmic explosions, exhibiting a significantly flatter appearance than previously thought possible. The explosion observed was an extremely rare Fast Blue Optical Transient (FBOT) — known colloquially amongst astronomers as “the cow” — only four others have ever been seen, and scientists don’t know how they occur, but this discovery has helped solve part of the puzzle. The explosion, which occurred 180 million light-years away, is the most aspherical ever seen in space, with a shape like a disc emerging a few days after it was discovered. By measuring the polarization, it allowed them to measure the shape of the explosion, effectively seeing something the size of our Solar System but in a galaxy 180 million light years away.