Astonishing energy of BOAT gamma rays revealed

Earlier this year, it was reported that the Earth was hit by the brightest gamma-ray bursts seen since the dawn of civilization. Now, a team of astronomers has assigned a value to the energy contained in those blasts and it’s staggering to say the leas… Continue reading Astonishing energy of BOAT gamma rays revealed

300 Earths’ worth of heavy metals forged in powerful cosmic explosion

Astronomers have detected one of the most energetic explosions in the history of the universe – a gamma ray burst thrown off by two neutron stars colliding. And for the first time ever, heavy metals were detected being produced in the explosion, totali… Continue reading 300 Earths’ worth of heavy metals forged in powerful cosmic explosion

Bizarre gamma ray burst hints at unseen “stellar demolition derby”

Besides the Big Bang itself, gamma ray bursts (GRBs) are the most energetic events in the universe. Astronomers knew of a few mechanisms that can produce them, but now an oddball GRB hints at a brand new origin – a stellar “demolition derby.”Continue R… Continue reading Bizarre gamma ray burst hints at unseen “stellar demolition derby”

Biggest cosmic explosion ever seen: 100x the width of our solar system

Astronomers have captured the biggest cosmic explosion ever detected. About 100 times bigger than the solar system and two trillion times brighter than the Sun at its peak, the mysterious miasma has remained visible for three years.Continue ReadingCate… Continue reading Biggest cosmic explosion ever seen: 100x the width of our solar system

Astronomers spot giant neutron star that existed for mere milliseconds

The universe is full of bizarre objects, and now astronomers have discovered a doozy – superheavy neutron stars that existed for only fractions of a second, before they collapsed into black holes.Continue ReadingCategory: Space, ScienceTags: Stars, Neu… Continue reading Astronomers spot giant neutron star that existed for mere milliseconds

Trees tell tale of extreme, unexplained astronomical radiation storms

Tree rings are not just a great record of a tree’s life, but they can preserve a snapshot of the Earth and beyond at different times. Now Australian scientists analyzing these records have found evidence of huge radiation storms that periodically bathe… Continue reading Trees tell tale of extreme, unexplained astronomical radiation storms

Gamma rays 10 times more energetic than thought possible detected

Astronomers have detected the highest-energy light ever seen, streaming in from near the center of the Milky Way. Hundreds of gamma ray signals were detected with ultra-high energies, with the most powerful signals crossing the Peta-electronvolt (PeV) … Continue reading Gamma rays 10 times more energetic than thought possible detected

Stars made of antimatter could be lurking in our galaxy

Antimatter is the strange, evil twin of regular matter, and it’s thought to have been mostly banished from our universe. But could it still be lurking out there in large clumps, even as stars? Astronomers have now identified a few signals that could be… Continue reading Stars made of antimatter could be lurking in our galaxy

Neutron star collision sheds new light on short gamma ray bursts

Scientists have detected a short burst of gamma rays from the collision of two neutron stars that put out more energy in a half-second than the Sun could in its 10-billion-year lifespan. Designated 200522A, the flash originated 5.47 billion light-years… Continue reading Neutron star collision sheds new light on short gamma ray bursts