Science Snapshots: Galaxy Pileup!

By

Your local highway after the smallest bit of snow isn't the only place where pileups can happen. Galaxies can do it too!

It all started with a strong fast radio burst. The strongest we've known, in fact. What the hell is that? A fast radio burst is a radio pulse that comes and goes (transient) lasting anywhere from a fraction of a millisecond to three seconds. We don't know what causes them. And they're strong. The average fast radio burst releases about as much energy in one millisecond (a one-thousandth of a second) as our Sun does in three full days. Of course, they (thankfully) are much less strong by the time they make it here. Learn more on Wikipedia, the king of all sources.

Alexa Gordon from Northwestern University (a legit place to study astronomy and astrophysics, by the way) says the current thought is they are caused by very compact objects, like a magnetar. These are a type of neutron star with very powerful magnetic fields. A neutron star is the collapsed center of a supergiant star, which is just what it sounds like. A big ass star.

Back to the all powerful burst, which is called FRB 20220610A because it rolls off the tongue. Dr. Gordon's team was checking out the source of this burst when they found a group of seven galaxies about 11 billion light years from Earth that were so jammed up that all seven of them could fit inside our Milky Way galaxy. This is a unique find as usually these bursts are seen from lone galaxies or globular clusters, but not such a galactic orgy.

Dr. Gordon's next move is for her team to get some time on the James Webb telescope to look in detail in hopes of finding a magnetar. The swapping of gas, dust, and other materials (ha) often trigger the birth of new stars (as we all know), so it's possible a supermassive star was born and collapsed into such a magnetar.

The Galactic Orgy of Seven. Source: NASA, ESA, STSCI, Alex Gordon/Northwestern via ScienceNews

Read the article here: https://www.sciencenews.org/article/fast-radio-burst-traced-galaxy-merge

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

OPEN POST: Erik & Lyle Menendez Speak Out!

By
Image
  Ryan Murphy's Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story debuted this past week and has made quite the splash with viewers. But just in case you've not gotten enough Menendez madness, Netflix is also releasing a documentary on the case that will be released Oct. 7th. The doc features interviews with the brothers from prison, where they share their side of the story and comment on the shifting public perception of their case. Will you be tuning in, Peckers? Credit: Sygma via Getty Images
Read more

OPEN POST: Small Town Big Baller Lived Large After Stealing 53 Million From Her Town Since the 90s.

By
Image
In 1990, Rita Crundwell assumed the role of comptroller in Dixon, Illinois. After serving for seven years, she clandestinely established the Reserve Sewer Capital Development Account (RSCDA) and utilized it to siphon off nearly $2.5 million annually from the city. By 2008, she had illicitly obtained a staggering $5.8 million, a substantial portion of Dixon's modest annual budget, which ranged between $8-9 million. Over 22 years, Crundwell embezzled upwards of $53 million and lavishly funded her lifestyle. She established and operated RC Quarter Horses, a renowned horse breeding enterprise, with her horses achieving an impressive 52 world championships. Additionally, she acquired a 45-foot motorhome and indulged in extended vacations. Crundwell deceitfully attributed the city's financial shortfall to the state's delayed tax payments, resulting in severe cutbacks in essential services across Dixon. Basically, the psychopath endangered people's lives so she could cha cha c
Read more