Earth hit by ‘dead star’ blast so powerful scientists don’t understand itBy Ben Cost
Published Oct. 6, 2023
Star bright is an understatement.
A dead star known as the Vela pulsar redefined hit Earth with a blast of energy so powerful that scientists are at a loss to explain it, according to a new study detailing the cosmic fireworks display published in the journal Nature Astronomy.
“This discovery was so unexpected … that it somehow was difficult to understand,” said Arache Djannati-Atai, an astrophysicist with the Astroparticle & Cosmology laboratory in Paris, which helmed the illuminating research, in a statement.
Meanwhile, the phenomenon was also detected by the High Energy Stereoscopic System array in Namibia.
This is the most high-energy burst of its kind ever recorded and scientists are currently unable to explain how a pulsar could emit such intense energy. This led researcher to determine the discovery challenges existing knowledge of pulsars — and requires a rethinking of how these natural accelerators work.
For the uninitiated, the interstellar light show was caused by a pulsar, a type of neutron star which consists of the rotating remnants of a dead star that has exploded into a supernova. These stars literally go out with a bang — one that is not known to be dangerous to humankind, according to NASA.
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Source:
https://nypost.com/2023/10/06/earth-hit-by-record-breaking-blast-from-death-star/
