A fleet of NASA missions has likely uncovered a collision between two ultradense stars in a tiny galaxy buried in a huge stream of gas. Astronomers have never seen this type of explosive event in an environment like this before — and it may help solve two outstanding cosmic mysteries. A paper describing these results […]
Category: Gamma-Ray Bursts
- Ames Research Center
- Astrophysics
- Gamma-Ray Bursts
- Goddard Space Flight Center
- Gravitational Waves
- High-Tech Computing
- Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO)
- Neutron Stars
- Origin & Evolution of the Universe
- Science & Research
- Sensing the Universe & Multimessenger Astronomy
- The Universe
NASA Researchers Probe Tangled Magnetospheres of Merging Neutron Stars
New simulations performed on a NASA supercomputer are providing scientists with the most comprehensive look yet into the maelstrom of interacting magnetic structures around city-sized neutron stars in the moments before they crash. The team identified potential signals emitted during the stars’ final moments that may be detectable by future observatories. “Just before neutron […]
Shaken, Not Stirred: NASA’s StarBurst Aces Extreme Temperature Tests
Heated, cooled, shaken, and settled – NASA’s StarBurst instrument is several steps closer to being ready for launch. The small satellite is now awaiting instrument calibration following a successful integration in Canada and rigorous testing by engineers at the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. StarBurst is designed to detect the initial emission […]