Reiki 999

01/11/2025

30/10/2025

Astronomers have discovered something never seen before a supernova that exposed the raw core of a dying star.
Named SN 2021yfj, this explosion revealed a stellar interior rich in silicon, sulfur, and argon, elements typically hidden beneath layers of hydrogen and helium. Scientists have classified it as a brand-new type of supernova Type Ien marking the first real glimpse into the deepest regions of a massive star.
The discovery, made by the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) and confirmed by W.M. Keck Observatory, offers direct proof of the “onion-layer” structure long theorized by astrophysicists. Located 2.2 billion light-years away, this star somehow shed all its outer layers before exploding possibly through violent stellar eruptions or a collision with a companion star.
This finding rewrites what we know about how massive stars die, revealing a new stage of stellar evolution and hinting at powerful processes still hidden across the cosmos.
Credit: Steve Schulze et al., “Extremely stripped supernova reveals a silicon and sulfur formation site,” Nature, 2025.

29/10/2025

3I/ATLAS, the third known interstellar comet, is about to re-emerge from behind the Sun—bringing new data and new questions.

In just four months, 3I/ATLAS has rewritten the rules on what we expect from comets. Discovered on July 1, 2025, by the ATLAS survey in Chile, this fast-moving visitor crosses into the inner solar system with an eccentricity of about 6.1 and a velocity near 57 km/s—clear signatures of an interstellar origin. When closest to the Sun (1.36 AU, around 203 million km), 3I/ATLAS will still remain a safe 1.8 AU from Earth.

Astronomers worldwide have tracked this comet using the Kottamia, Palomar, and Apache Point Observatories. High-resolution images reveal a dust cloud and a small, icy core, estimated mostly under 1 km wide. Photometric measurements show it ejects dust grains in the micrometer-to-millimeter range at rates up to 1 kg/s, similar to known solar system comets, yet its redder color hints at a unique composition.

What truly sets 3I/ATLAS apart is its blend of familiar and bizarre: from an unusually red hue to mysterious tail dynamics and chemical signatures never before detected in natural comets. Its hyperbolic path means it will leave our solar system forever, but before it goes, its up-close encounter with the Sun may teach us more about the chemistry and birthplaces of planetary systems far beyond our own.