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Credit: J. Schoemer
(NASM)
Explanation:
Tremendous explosions near the center of our Galaxy were discovered just
this past December and are being announced today by a paper in
Nature and a press conference at
NASA.
Bursts like these have never been seen before, and so the exact cause is
unknown and will likely be the source of
astronomical speculations and
observations for years to come. Much more powerful than any
explosions we humans can create, these eruptions
likely involve
the extreme conditions
found only on the surface of a
neutron
star in a
binary system,
possibly similar to the X-ray binary system depicted in the above drawing.
The new source, dubbed
GRO J1744-28 for its discovery
spacecraft and position, currently produces multiple
pulsed bursts of energy
per day, each of which last several seconds. The
bursts are quite
prominent in
X-ray light. Discovery team leaders
include Chryssa Kouveliotou
(USRA) and Gerald Fishman
(NASA
/MSFC).
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: Galactic Center
Publications with words: Galactic Center
See also: