Biggest explosion ever seen spotted in space – and scientists don’t know what it is
The biggest explosion ever seen has been spotted in space – and scientists don’t know for sure where it came from. The blast was brighter than almost anything ever seen and has been going on for years, making it by far the most powerful such event witnessed by scientists. It has been ongoing for more than three years, and took place nearly 8 billion years away. Astronomers have proposed a host of possible explanations for the blast: it may be a vast cloud of gas that was torn apart by a black hole, for instance. But nothing on such a scale has ever been seen before and the explosion may have come from something else entirely. It is more than 10 times brighter than any known supernova and three times brighter than the brightest tidal disruption event, where a star falls into a supermassive black hole. The explosion, known as AT2021lwx, took place when the universe was around six billion years old, and is still being detected by a network of telescopes. The astronomers, led by the University of Southampton, believe the explosion is a result of a vast cloud of gas, possibly thousands of times larger than our sun, that has been violently disrupted by a supermassive black hole. Fragments of the cloud would be swallowed up, sending shockwaves through its remnants, as well as into a large dusty “doughnut” surrounding the black hole. Such events are very rare and nothing on this scale has been witnessed before, the researchers say. Last year, astronomers witnessed the brightest explosion on record – a gamma-ray burst known as GRB 221009A. Although this was brighter than AT2021lwx, it lasted for just a fraction of the time, meaning the overall energy released by the AT2021lwx explosion was far greater. AT2021lwx was first detected in 2020 by the Zwicky Transient Facility in California, and subsequently picked up by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) based in Hawaii. But until now the scale of the explosion had been unknown. Dr Philip Wiseman, research fellow at the University of Southampton, who led the research, said: “We came upon this by chance, as it was flagged by our search algorithm when we were searching for a type of supernova. “Most supernovae and tidal disruption events only last for a couple of months before fading away. For something to be bright for two plus years was immediately very unusual.” The Southampton-led team believe the most feasible explanation for what caused the explosion is an extremely large cloud of gas (mostly hydrogen) or dust that has come off course from its orbit around the black hole and been sent flying in. Dr Wiseman added: “With new facilities, like the Vera Rubin Observatory’s Legacy Survey of Space and Time, coming online in the next few years, we are hoping to discover more events like this and learn more about them. “It could be that these events, although extremely rare, are so energetic that they are key processes to how the centres of galaxies change over time.” The findings are published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. Additional reporting by agencies Read More Biggest explosion ever seen spotted in space – and we don’t know what it is Scientists think they have explained a ‘mysterious structure in the universe’ Astronomers spot the largest cosmic explosion ever seen Astronomers spot the largest cosmic explosion ever seen Astronomers see ‘objects that no one has ever seen before’ in incredible observations ‘Meteorite? shooting star? missile?’: Officials explain strange ‘fireball’ over Japan
2023-05-12 12:54
Speedy: Here's why 'Queer Eye' reality star might be the new TikTok sensation
Speedy from 'Queer Eye' is inspiring many TikTok users and might be a new sensation on the app
2023-05-20 17:55
‘Dogged by Death’: The True Story Behind the Bizarre Syndrome That Inspired ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’
Here’s how a wave of mysterious deaths in the late 1970s and early 1980s among Southeast Asian refugees living in America inspired Wes Craven to pen his 1984 horror classic, “A Nightmare on Elm Street.”
2023-10-17 01:18
The rise of anti-trans bills in the U.S.
By Minami Funakoshi and Disha Raychaudhuri Lawmakers in 37 U.S. states have introduced at least 142 bills to
2023-08-20 02:18
Illinois AG probe: Catholic clergy sexual abuse of kids was far more common than church acknowledged
Illinois’ attorney general has released the results of a sweeping investigation into allegations of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy, saying investigators found that 451 clergy sexually abused nearly 2,000 children since 1950, which was far more than the 103 individuals the church had named when the state review began in 2018
2023-05-24 00:18
Fizzled probe spares governor scrutiny over Ronald Greene’s deadly arrest
Louisiana legislators who last year demanded answers from Gov. John Bel Edwards on whether he was complicit in a cover-up of state troopers’ deadly arrest of a Black motorist have quietly abandoned their work without hearing from the governor or issuing any findings
2023-06-05 12:45
Adin Ross reacts to N3on approaching Kick streamer's ex-girlfriend Pami Baby: 'Super corny'
Adin Ross was not impressed when N3on confronted his ex-girlfriend Pami Baby
2023-10-30 17:19
'Please come home': Utah author Kouri Richins accused of killing husband made eerie post to promote book
In an interview, Kouri Richins claimed that her husband 'suddenly' died a year ago and that his death 'completely took [them] all by shock'
2023-05-11 11:51
Joe Rogan shares story of MMA fighter Jeff Monson’s move to Russia: 'Fought a bunch of people'
Joe Rogan made a reference to Jeff Monson's move to Russia during a conversation with political commentator Dave Smith
2023-11-26 14:49
Why some of Biden's problems may be overblown at this time
President Joe Biden had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad week. But while he clearly has problems -- no president with an approval rating hovering around 40% is in good shape -- some of his issues appear to be overblown. Here are three reasons why.
2023-09-17 20:21
Stock market today: Asian stocks mixed as Wall St inches toward bull market
Shares are mixed in Asia after a listless day on Wall Street amid a vacuum of market-moving data
2023-06-07 14:46
Indonesian police crack down on traffickers who sent 122 people to sell their kidneys in Cambodia
Indonesian police are investigating the illegal trade in human organs involving police and immigration officers who were accused of helping traffickers send 122 Indonesians to a hospital in Cambodia to sell their kidneys
2023-07-25 19:24
You Might Like...
‘I want to shoot close to you’: Never-seen-before videos reveal Alec Baldwin firing a prop gun on ‘Rust’ set
Who is Anthony Gaskin? 'RHOA' fans disappointed as Sheree Whitfield hangs out with former assistant accused of assaulting Drew Sidora
'RHONJ' star Luis Ruelas slammed as he introduces his business team: 'Made a deal with the devil'
Russia returns four Ukrainian children in Qatari deal
DeSantis won't condemn Musk for endorsing an antisemitic post. 'I did not see the comment,' he says
Amouranth shares horror of streaming world, 'warns' budding female creators of stalking issues: 'They get really crazy'
Three key priorities in crucial US-China talks
10 Strange and Surprisingly Specific National Park Rules