Scientists have discovered an enormous burst of light that is thought to have been caused by the recent impact of stars with a black hole on Earth and which could alter how we perceive the universe.
In December 2021, a neighbouring galaxy produced the brief gamma-ray burst (GRB), which lasted for only 50 seconds. These blasts are thought to be the universe’s most potent explosions.
Previously, it was thought that GRBs could only occur from the merger of two neutron stars, but this is no longer the case, according to astronomers.
After the massive GRBs hit the Earth last year, scientists started searching for the afterglow that such blasts leave behind, as it helps to find where the blast has come from.
The researchers, however, discovered something completely different. They followed the explosion from a kilonava, a rare incident that occurs when a neutron star merges with either another star or a black hole.
Astronomers claim that these occurrences are extremely uncommon.
The study’s principal investigator, Jillian Rastinejad, a PhD student in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Northwestern University stated, ‘This event represents an exciting paradigm change for gamma-ray-burst astronomy.’
They claim that the explosion, known as GRB 211211A, was longer than anticipated and produced more infrared radiation.
Astronomers believe that the explosion produced elements such as gold and platinum.
The researchers’ findings also found that this event produced heavy elements that amounted to roughly 1000 times the mass of our Earth.
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