The center of the Milky Way glows. Yes, there’s a big chonkin ‘black hole, and it’s a very energetic region, but there’s an extra high energy, gamma ray glow, above the activity we know about, and it’s something that still to be explained. This glow is called the Galactic Center …
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When a star weighs a little too close to a black hole, we know – broadly – what is happening. The intense tidal forces tore the star apart in what is called a tidal disruption event, releasing one last burst of light before the star’s rumble passes the event horizon. …
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More than ten years ago, Bruce Walker was working at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) when he was asked to see a patient who was claimed to be infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), but who was OK , despite the fact that he never took medication. “Absolutely,” recalls Walker, …
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At the end of the Universe, long after the last shining stars flickered, there could be one last explosion. Named black dwarf supernovae, these dazzling explosions will announce in the eternal darkness as the Universe falls asleep, a new study suggests. These newly proposed supernovae are a special race that …
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A rare fusion between clusters of galaxies has just revealed an even rarer face. Astronomers have found a large, low-frequency radio ‘bridge’ between the two, spanning a distance of 6.5 million light-years – evidence of a magnetic field that connects them in the early stages of the merging process. It …
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