The current understanding of the universe has been called into doubt by the discovery of a cosmic explosion!
The current understanding of the universe has been called into doubt by the discovery of a cosmic explosion!
The largest known cosmic explosion was observed by astronomers after combining data from several years. Understanding what could have caused an explosion of this size in comparison to all we have previously observed is now a mystery.
There are various kinds of enormous explosions in the universe that have the power to destroy planets and stars and even push black holes. The majority of these explosions are linked to the deaths of large stars or stars interacting with neutrons.
What is known as a supernova is one of the largest explosions that can be seen. A huge star's supernova is its final breath before collapsing under the force of its own gravity. This most recent souffle is very energetic.
Southampton University astronomers may have found an explosion that is even more significant than a supernova. More specifically, it was determined that the explosion was 10 times more powerful than a supernova. What could have possibly caused this explosion, is the question that is being posed.
What exactly is a supernova?
The supernovae are extremely bright and energetic explosions connected to big stars or bright white nasas. The many supernova kinds have different names, such as supernovas of type Ia, Ib, or type II, among others.
We can see the elements thanks to the light spectrum that the explosion produces. However, the two most common types of supernovae can be distinguished as follows:
Type Ia supernova
This kind of explosion occurs when a white dwarf finds itself in a binary star system and starts consuming its companion star's material. The white dwarf may become unstable while chasing the material and go supernova.
These supernovae are extremely brilliant and significant to us. They act as yardsticks for measuring the rate of universe expansion. In fact, they not only have a steady brightness, but they are also clearly visible from a great distance.
Type II supernova
The death process for a very massive star that has more than five times the mass of the Sun is complicated. A supernova occurs when the fuel that keeps her in hydrostatic equilibrium is no longer present.
When the internal pressure of the star is balanced by the gravitational field, this is referred to as hydrostatic equilibrium. When there is a significant drop in pressure, or when the fuel runs out, gravity is what pulls the object.
The resulting shock waves end by causing an extremely bright explosion after dissolving quickly, within a few seconds, under the influence of their own gravitation.
The supernovae, on the other hand, are sudden explosions that are only briefly observable.
The explosion that lasts more than a year
In 2020, the Zwicky Transient Facility project discovered a very energetic signal in the sky. Although uninterestingly boring, researchers were unable to determine the source of this signal.
Researchers from the University of Southampton studied an energetic signal one year later and realized it was the same phenomenon as the earlier observation after combining the data.
Such energy blasts last only a few seconds; it is incredible that anything so powerful could last more than a year. It has never before been noticed.
What may have caused an explosion that was so powerful and long-lasting?
The research team has found that the explosion's source can be located 8 billion light-years away. The research's principal investigator, Dr. Philip Wiseman, believes that the universe's most mysterious objects might be there for something, specifically the black holes.
Additional observations will be required to determine if the explosion was caused by a black hole capturing the material or by another energetic phenomenon that eluded our notice.
