Found: the most powerful explosions in the known universe.
"Extreme nuclear transients" likely happen when a massive star is shredded by a supermassive black hole. The black hole hides in gravitational darkness until it's silhouetted by the remains of its victim.
https://www.hawaii.edu/news/2025/06/04/biggest-explosion-since-big-bang/ #space #science #nature #astronomy
Smoking is cool. Smoke rings are cool.
Mount Etna puffs 'smoke rings' in rare display
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-europe-68752290
Nature presents us with 80 "octaves" of light, of which humans can see exactly 1.
Bringing the other 79 octaves into view has taken two centuries of effort, but it has transformed our ability to sense our place in the cosmic order.
My new essay in Aeon magazine:
https://aeon.co/essays/william-herschels-sensors-let-us-see-the-invisible-universe #space #science #nature #tech
Space Weather
Geomagnetic Storm Alert:
A strong G3 geomagnetic storm is in progress.
Aurora is strengthening over New Zealand. Aurora is also starting to become visible over Missouri, USA.
Here is updated info from the NASA/NOAA SWPC on the intensity and timing of the geomagnetic storm about to hit Earth in the next 36 hours.
Peak Kp index of 7.67 (G4 level) is predicted around 00:00 UTC Monday Jun 2.
This might produce the strongest geo-mag storm of this year, but perhaps not as strong as the G5 storm on May 10, 2024, which produced a Kp index of 9 (the index is capped at 9).
See https://fosstodon.org/@AkaSci/112419221621159147 for info on the May 10, 2024 solar storm.
https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/communities/space-weather-enthusiasts-dashboard
3/n
Ancient Chinese star chart dated to 2,300 years ago may be the oldest ever, challenging astronomy history
A new study has re-ignited academic debate over the origins of the world’s earliest star chart, placing an ancient Chinese manuscript—the Star Manual of Master Shi—at the forefront of world astronomical history. Using a cutting-edge artificial intelligence technique, researchers at the Chinese National Astronomical Observatories dated this manuscript to around 355 BCE, placing its origin over two centuries earlier than previously believed and making it the oldest star catalog ever discovered.
#China #starchart #archaeology
https://archaeologymag.com/2025/05/chinese-star-chart-may-be-the-oldest-ever/
The sun unleashed two huge flares early Wednesday, one day after a NASA observatory captured a dramatic photo of a separate solar flare.
✍️ Denise Chow reports for NBC News: https://www.nbcnews.com/science/space/massive-solar-storm-causes-communications-blackouts-rcna206725
Berliner Morgenpost
Corey S Powell
Ben
𝑮7𝑰𝙕𝑼 𝑹𝙍𝑫
AkaSci 🛰️
Cosmic Librarian
Nick Stevens Graphics
Knowable Magazine
Benjamin Carr, Ph.D. 👨🏻💻🧬