The work of non-professional science lovers can also be useful in opening up new horizons.
Technology not only serves to improve our lives and support the development of civilization, but is also designed to come into contact with other people. And the space discovery we’ll tell you about next has a lot to do with it advances in science and communicationbecause it was thanks to a science enthusiast that a group of scientists were able to investigate collision a pair of exoplanets located very far from our solar system, about 1,800 light-years from Earth.
An unusual event reported by an astronomy fan
A study published in the journal Nature reveals the discovery of an astronomical fan and shows how two ice giant planets they should they collided each other and how they would create a spectacle of dust and light after a cosmic accident.
Matthew Kenworthy is one of the study’s authors, and on the University of Bristol’s website he explains how discovery:
To be honest, I was completely surprised by this observation. When we initially shared the visible light curve of this star with other astronomers, we began observing it with a network of other telescopes. An astronomer on the social network alerted us that the star shone in the infrared spectrum for almost 1000 days before optical fading. I knew then that this was an unusual occurrence.
For the first time ever, scientists have captured the afterglow of a huge planetary collision in space 🌌
This 3D simulation created by Bristol PhD student Jingyao shows a cataclysmic collision between two giant planets in a space system 1800 light years away from planet Earth 🌎 pic.twitter.com/WplKUx8mgy
— University of Bristol (@BristolUni) October 11, 2023
From there, a group of astronomers conducted a tracking star brightnesswith the name ASASSN-21qj, for two years, find as the most likely explanation that there was a the clash of two ice giants.
Through NEOWIS missionwhich uses the WISE space telescope to observe comets and asteroids, an infrared flash may have been detected that occurred in said collision between two exoplanets.
This amazing research was a collaborative project with academics from around the world coming together @uobearthscience with @UniLeidenNews, @uniofwarwick, @NASAJPL, @Caltech, @oeaw and more.
More information: https://t.co/h1L73vkroW@WITHJLock @JingyaoDOU_ac
— University of Bristol (@BristolUni) October 11, 2023
Three years later, they began to observe the brightness of the stars decreaseswhich a group of astronomers claims to produce collision debris which were launched into space. And the sightings will continue for years, as well says Dr. Zoe Leinhardt:
It will be fascinating to watch future developments. Eventually, the mass of material around the remnant could condense to form an entourage of moons that will then orbit the new planet.
