Australia's defense reported a Chinese fighter jet dangerously released flares near an Australian aircraft over the South China Sea, highlighting regional tensions and China's growing military assertiveness, amid Australia's efforts to balance its US alliance and economic ties with China.
Fighter jets were scrambled and flares fired after seven civilian planes violated restricted airspace over President Trump's Bedminster property in New Jersey over the weekend, with one plane intercepted and safely escorted out of the area. NORAD emphasized the safety measures used and urged pilots to heed FAA notices, noting previous violations over similar areas.
A star has been observed escaping a supermassive black hole and returning for a second encounter, challenging previous understanding of tidal disruption events and suggesting some black holes may partially consume stars rather than fully destroy them. The discovery raises questions about the nature of these flares and whether stars can survive multiple close encounters with black holes, potentially rewriting theories about black hole-star interactions.
During Liverpool's Premier League title celebrations, 17 people, including a police officer, were injured by flares, prompting police warnings and the seizure of flares and drones. Authorities urge fans to enjoy the festivities safely and avoid reckless actions like using flares or flying drones during the parade.
Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar announced that the agency will take severe action against those involved in firing flares at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's residence in Caesarea. Following the arrest of three suspects, Bar emphasized that such acts are considered serious threats rather than legitimate protests, and the Shin Bet is committed to protecting government symbols from violence.
A man was rescued by the US Coast Guard after being stranded for three days on an isolated Bahamas island when his sailboat became disabled. The Coast Guard spotted him after he fired flares from his vessel near Cay Sal, an uninhabited island. The man was provided with supplies and later retrieved in good health. The incident highlights the importance of having proper safety equipment on board.
Astronomers have identified the source of periodic flares observed in the galaxy OJ 287 as two supermassive black holes orbiting each other. The smaller black hole orbits the larger one for about 12 years, plunging through the accretion disk twice and creating intense flares as it interacts with the gas in the disk. Researchers modeled the dynamics of the two orbiting holes and predicted flares that were observed in early 2022. The two black holes are expected to merge in about 10,000 years, emitting energy via gravitational radiation and ending their cosmic dance.
Astronomers have confirmed that the galaxy OJ 287, located 5 billion light-years away from Earth, is a binary system with two black holes at its core. The two black holes send out different kinds of electromagnetic signals, allowing astronomers to untangle their respective identities. The binary system produces flares that occur when one black hole dives through the other's accretion disk, creating dramatic flashes of energy across the electromagnetic spectrum. During recent observations, researchers saw two even more dramatic, and far shorter-lived, flares from the binary system, directly confirming the existence of the two black holes.