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ScienceSpace & SpaceflightThis ‘Unusual Star’ Is Unlike Anything Astronomers Have Seen Before
Space is full of surprises, like this apparent star—which, given the tumultuous circumstances of its formation, shouldn’t really exist. New research published in Astronomy & Astrophysics describes a potentially new kind of star, one born in an event typically associated with destruction rather than creation: the merger of two white dwarfs. The paper, co-authored by … Continued
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ScienceSpace & SpaceflightExploding Black Dwarfs Could Be the ‘Last Interesting Thing to Happen in the Universe’
“This is the way the world ends,” said T. S. Elliot in his famous poem, “Not with a bang but a whimper.” These days, scientists consider the heat-death of the universe to be the whimper, but a new theoretical analysis predicts that the cosmos will breathe its final gasp in the form of exploding black … Continued
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ScienceSpace & SpaceflightAstronomers Spot the Brightest Supernova Ever Recorded
Back in 2016, a telescope spotted a supernova flaring so brightly that it far outshone its own galaxy. The exploded star continued emitting radiation for more than 1,000 days, unleashing more energy than any supernova previously documented. But that’s only the start of the story. The supernova, named SN2016aps, was unlike any supernova on record, … Continued
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ScienceSpace & SpaceflightHow Neon Can Make a Star Destroy Itself
Some stars have the element neon to thank for their ultimate, explosive demise, according to astrophysical research. Astronomers love studying the life cycles of stars, including which stars die in which ways. Less-massive stars, like our Sun, expand and shed their layers as they transition into white dwarfs, while much bigger stars explode in violent … Continued
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ScienceSpace & SpaceflightOh Yeah, Betelgeuse Is Definitely Looking Weirder
At this point, we’re all crossing our fingers that the dying star Betelgeuse will hurry up and explode already, because who doesn’t love a good show? The red giant star (visible in the constellation Orion) has been growing dimmer since late last year, leading many to speculate it could soon go supernova. Scientists operating the … Continued
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ScienceSpace & SpaceflightStrongest Gamma-Ray Bursts Ever Recorded Are Illuminating the Universe’s Most Powerful Explosions
An international team of astronomers has detected a pair of gamma-ray bursts with energies more powerful than anything ever seen before. GRBs are the strongest explosions known in the cosmos, but these latest observations suggests we’ve significantly underestimated their true potential. Three new papers published today in Nature describe two new gamma-ray bursts—GRB 190114C and … Continued
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SciencePhysics & ChemistryHow Industrial Explosions Are Helping Us Understand Supernovae
Scientists have debuted a theory using the explosions seen in industrial accidents to understand supernovae in a new paper. Destructive explosions typically involve several different kinds of processes: deflagration, or flames igniting a medium slower than the speed of sound, and detonation, faster-than-sound shockwaves compressing and igniting the fuel Initiating a detonation hard, especially in … Continued
