Astronomers spy puzzlingly 'perfect' cosmic orb with unknown size and location
Astronomers have discovered the eerie remains of a supernova with an almost perfect spherical shape glowing faintly on the outskirts of the Milky Way. However, they are unsure exactly how large and how far away the ghostly orb is — or how it got its unusually symmetrical shape.
The scientists named the object G305.4–2.2, or Telios — Greek for "perfect." Telios was spotted in radio images captured by the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) telescope in Western Australia for the Evolutionary Map of the Universe project. It is a supernova remnant (SNR) — an expanding cloud of gas and radiation left over from an exploded star.
Most SNRs are at least vaguely spherical due to how supernovas explode outward in all directions, although some have more unorthodox shapes, as they dissipate over time or get bent out of shape by other explosions or stellar winds. However, it is rare to find remnants that appear to have almost no imperfections.
The researchers described the SNR in a new study, uploaded May 7 to the pre-print server arXiv and accepted for future publication in the journal Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia.
"This object [Telios] displays a remarkable circular symmetry in shape, making it one of the most circular galactic SNRs known," the researchers wrote in the paper.
Related: Rare quadruple supernova on our 'cosmic doorstep' will shine brighter than the moon when it blows up in 23 billion years
Telios is also unusual for its extremely low brightness compared with most other SNRs, which suggests that it is either really young or really old. Based on its perfect shape, it is most likely to be the former because most SNRs lose their shape as they age, the researchers wrote.
The low brightness makes it hard to determine Telios' distance from Earth, which also raises uncertainty about its size. The researchers believe it could be anywhere from 7,170 to 25,100 light-years from our planet, meaning it could span anywhere from 45.6 to 156.5 light-years across — dozens of times larger than our solar system.
The object is located below the galactic plane — the disk of matter swirling around the Milky Way's supermassive black hole, where most objects in the galaxy, including the solar system, are situated. Its unusual location adds to the uncertainty about its distance and size. But despite being outside the galactic plane, Telios is still part of the Milky Way.
Orb-like SNRs are very rare. However, a handful have been discovered before in dwarf galaxies that orbit the Milky Way. These include SN1987A and MC SNR J0509–673, located in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC); and SNR J0624–6948, which was discovered in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) earlier this year.
RELATED STORIES
—Supernova that lit up Earth's skies 843 years ago has a flowering 'zombie star' at its heart — and it's still exploding
—Strange 'reverse shock wave' supernova is exploding in the wrong direction
—Scientists find evidence of 'supernova graveyard' at the bottom of the sea — and possibly on the surface of the moon
There are two ways in which these perfect SNRs form: via a core-collapse supernova, where massive red giant stars implode, generating a shockwave that in turn pushes its matter outward; or via a Type Ia supernova, where smaller stars explode in much more violent explosions, which astronomers use to study some of cosmology's biggest mysteries.
The researchers believe that a Type Ia supernova was the more likely origin for Telios because red giants are much less common outside the galactic plane. However, it is hard to tell for sure because they cannot identify the remnant's progenitor — the shriveled husk of the exploded star that usually lurks at the heart of SNRs.
"While we deem the Type Ia scenario the most likely, we note that no direct evidence is available to definitively confirm any scenario and new sensitive and high-resolution observations of this object are needed," the researchers wrote.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
New on Hulu August 9-15: our editor's picks for 5 TV shows and movies coming to Hulu this week
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Scrolling for something new to watch on Hulu this week, August 9-15? Let me give you a hand with my picks for the best movies, TV shows and more arriving on the streaming service. The big arrival this week is a new series based on one of the most popular sci-fi franchises of all time. But there are some other great options to stream this week, including a special live event and a major action franchise. Check out all of the picks for this week directly below. The Lost City (2022) Enjoy this adventure comedy on Hulu starting August 10 Who doesn't love Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum? They both are at their charming best in The Lost City, an action/adventure comedy that is a solid, easy watch from the last few years. In the movie, Bullock plays an author who is kidnapped by an eccentric billionaire (played by Daniel Radcliffe) who believes her most recent book reveals clues to a real ancient lost city. It falls to her cover model (Tatum) to try and rescue her. Copshop (2021) Under-the-radar crime thriller with a fun Gerard Butler performance is streaming as of August 11 There's a large fan base for Gerard Butler's crime movies Den of Thieves and Den of Thieves 2: Pantera, but in my opinion, Copshop is just as fun and is a far superior movie than the Den of Thieves franchise, and we still get Butler showing his rougher side. In Copshop, a con artist (Frank Grillo) attempts to hide from a lethal assassin (Butler) by getting himself arrested. However, the assassin follows him into the station, with only a rookie cop (Alexis Louder) on duty to handle the situation. Copshop is "Certified Fresh" on Rotten Tomatoes. Alien: Earth The first two episodes of the sci-fi TV series premiere on Hulu on August 12 The Xenomorphs have been terrorizing space for almost 50 years, but they are about to terrorize Earth in the FX/Hulu original series Alien: Earth from Fargo creator Noah Hawley. With a cast of relatively lesser-known actors, save for Timothy Olyphant, Alien: Earth is one of the more interesting summer TV shows we're getting this year and is worth giving a try. John Wick movies The entire John Wick franchise starts streaming on Hulu on August 15 Not one, not two, not three, but all four John Wick movies arrive on Hulu this week. The mega-action franchise, starring Keanu Reeves as the world's most dangerous assassin out for revenge against those who have wronged him, has spawned beyond the confines of these four movies (most recently with the spinoff movie Ballerina), and we're even getting a John Wick 5 it seems. But these four movies (John Wick, John Wick: Chapter 2, John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum, John Wick: Chapter 4) remain the gold standard. Stand Up to Cancer A special live stream of the Stand Up to Cancer fundraising event takes place on August 15 Stand Up to Cancer raises money for cancer research, and one of their biggest events is the Stand Up to Cancer event, taking place for the ninth time on August 15. Hulu will have a special live stream of the event that begins at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT, with host Sheryl Crow and appearances and performances from celebrities, including Dolly Parton. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Yahoo
Archaeology student finds rare ninth-century gold 'within the first 90 minutes' of her first excavation
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. An archaeology student from Florida struck gold in the U.K. just 90 minutes into her first-ever excavation, when she discovered a rare ninth-century artifact that may have had a religious or ceremonial use. "I couldn't believe I'd found something so quickly into my first excavation," Yara Souza, a student at Newcastle University in the U.K. who is from Orlando, Florida, said in a statement. "It was actually quite overwhelming," she said, and "I was really geeking out over it!" The enigmatic gold object is just 1.6 inches (4 centimeters) long and is shaped like a small knob. It is nearly identical to — but a bit larger than — a similar item discovered by a metal detectorist in 2021. That artifact has been identified as a ball-headed pin dated to roughly A.D. 800 to 1000, during the early medieval period. Both gold artifacts were found at the same location near a major ancient Roman road, now called Dere Street, in the county of Northumberland in northeast England. This road was important in Roman times for sending supplies into the northernmost extent of the empire in Scotland in the second century. Because gold was associated with high status, experts think the two similar artifacts are connected and may have had a ceremonial or religious use, rather than being a simple accessory. Related: 600-year-old amethyst 'worthy of a duke' found in medieval castle moat in Poland "We know that Dere Street continued to be a major thoroughfare long after the Romans," James Gerrard, a professor of Roman archaeology at Newcastle University who led the excavation, said in the statement. "It is possible that this pair of objects may have been deliberately buried." RELATED STORIES —Medieval gold ring found in castle in Slovakia has rare purple sapphire imported from Sri Lanka —Apollo gold ring with 'healing serpent' found in 2,000-year-old tomb in Greece —Medieval crowns of Eastern European royalty hidden in cathedral wall since World War II finally recovered Both objects will be analyzed further through the U.K.'s Portable Antiquities Scheme. "This project is a great example of how metal detectorists and archaeologists can come together to add to our understanding of the past in Northumberland," Andrew Agate, the finds liaison officer for North East England, said in the statement. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Yahoo
A real-life Pandora? Newfound 'disappearing' planet in our neighboring star system could have a habitable moon, just like the Avatar movies
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. A potential gas giant recently discovered orbiting in the habitable zone of one of the closest stars to Earth could have a moon capable of sustaining life — just like the alien world "Pandora" from the "Avatar" movies, researchers have speculated. However, there is currently no evidence to suggest that such a moon exists or that it could support life. In fact, scientists are still unsure if its host planet is actually where they think it is. A study published Aug. 11 in The Astrophysical Journal Letters revealed the potential discovery of a Saturn-size gas giant, dubbed S1, orbiting Alpha Centauri A — one of three stars that make up the Alpha Centauri system, which lies roughly 4.25 light-years from our own solar system. The potential exoplanet, which likely orbits its home star at up to twice the distance between Earth and the sun, was initially spotted by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) in August 2024. However, the powerful telescope failed to spot the world again when it was expected to become visible in February and April this year, leading to it being dubbed a "disappearing planet." Researchers believe that S1's orbit may have moved it in front of Alpha Centauri A, making it much harder for JWST to spot the gas giant. By their calculations, it should become visible again in 2026 and 2027, meaning we will need to wait a few more years before we can be certain of its existence. But if it is eventually confirmed, "It would be the most significant JWST discovery to date," study co-author Stanimir Metchev, an exoplanet researcher at Western University in Ontario, told Live Science. Related: Proposed spacecraft could carry up to 2,400 people on a one-way trip to the nearest star system, Alpha Centauri To date, only two planets have been confirmed within our adjacent neighborhood, both of which orbit Proxima Centauri — the closest star to Earth, which circles the binary star pair of Alpha Centauri A and Alpha Centauri B. But as our closest stellar neighbors, the idea of traveling to Alpha Centauri and potentially establishing a human colony there has long piqued humanity's interest in both science and science fiction. The triple stars' most notable sci-fi inclusion is probably in the "Avatar" franchise, as the home system of Pandora — the fictional homeworld of the blue-skinned aliens, known as the Na'vi, who go to war with humans who invade the moon (which purportedly orbits a gas giant) after traveling to Alpha Centauri on interstellar starships in the 22nd century. Interestingly, S1 is likely around the same size as Polyphemus, the fictional gas giant orbited by Pandora. And both S1 and Polyphemus also supposedly reside within Alpha Centauri A's habitable zone, where there are suitable conditions for extraterrestrial life to emerge. Real-life Pandora? Until now, the idea that there could be a real-life Pandora in Alpha Centauri seemed like a very long shot. But if S1 is confirmed to be a real planet, there is a high chance that it could have a number of moons. "I would expect that there are probably moons there," Mary Anne Limbach, an exoplanet researcher at the University of Michigan who was not involved in the new study, told NPR. "Moon formation around giant planets generally should be quite common." In our own solar system, for example, the largest gas giants Jupiter and Saturn have a combined 369 natural satellites at the latest count, including sizable moons such as Titan, Europa, Io, Ganymede, Enceladus and Mimas, some of which may even be capable of supporting life themselves. Related: 32 alien planets that really exist But if S1 does have a moon, what are the chances that it can support some form of extraterrestrial life? The answer likely lies in how large it is. Limbach said she is "optimistic" that S1 could support a Mars-size moon, which would make it large enough to have its own atmosphere and large surface oceans, similar to those found on Earth. However, David Kipping, an exoplanet researcher at Columbia University in New York who was not involved in the new study, is more skeptical and told NPR that any moon around S1 would likely only grow to the size of Titan, which is around two-thirds the size of Mars but slightly larger than Mercury. RELATED STORIES —NASA finds signs of hellish, lava-covered 'exomoon' circling an alien world — and it could meet a 'destructive end' —'Unstable' moons may be obliterating alien life across the universe —James Webb telescope's 'shocking' discovery may hint at hidden exomoon around 'failed star' At this size, the moon is unlikely to be able to hold together an atmosphere, making extraterrestrial life — especially on the scale seen in the "Avatar" movies — very unlikely. Therefore, to get a real-life Pandora, "you need this planet to have an unexpectedly big moon," Kipping said, though he added that "it's not impossible." The next challenge, if and when S1 is confirmed to exist, will be to spot any potential exomoons surrounding it. However, this could be tricky as exomoons are notoriously hard to spot, as they are so much smaller and colder than planets. Therefore, we may need to wait for a space telescope several orders of magnitude more powerful than JWST to see anything, which could take decades. Solve the daily Crossword
