Transients
The Wow! Signal Deciphered. It Was Hydrogen All Along.
In 1977, astronomers received a powerful, peculiar radio signal from the direction of the constellation Sagittarius. Its frequency was the…
Astronomers Find the Slowest-Spinning Neutron Star Ever
Most neutron stars spin rapidly, completing a rotation in seconds or even a fraction of a second. But astronomers have…
Can a Dead Star Keep Exploding?
In September 2022, an automated sky survey detected what seemed to be a supernova explosion about one billion light-years away.…
What a Mess. A Black Hole's Stellar Meal is Brighter and Longer Lasting Than Ever Seen Before
A black hole munching on a star may have caused one of the brightest transients every observed.
A Black Hole Consumed a Star and Released the Light of a Trillion Suns
When a flash of light appears somewhere in the sky, astronomers notice. When it appears in a region of the…
Astronomers Discover a Mysterious Star That Flashes Every 20 Minutes. But What is it?
An ultra-long period object might be a magnetar, but it could also be a type of object we've never seen.
What’s Causing the Mysterious Radio Waves Coming From the Center of the Milky Way?
The center of the Milky Way is a mysterious place. Astronomers think there's a supermassive black hole there, though it…
Astronomy Cast Ep. 520: Transients: What They Are and Why They Matter Part 2
This is our second episode in a two part series where we look at Transients in astronomy. In last week's…
Astronomy Cast Ep. 519: Transients: What They Are and Why They Matter
Astronomers have found that sometimes the Universe changes. Things move, things explode, things get brighter or dimmer. In fact, knowing…