Kilonova...

www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/earth-has-been-hit-by-an-unusual-intense-blast-of-energy-from-nearby-galaxy-that-could-change-our-understanding-of-the-universe/ar-AA1512Wj?li=BBnbfcL&fbclid=IwAR0Szf_69VmZ-XFuGlRJSleBiIfoRMBt5GchOUmdscrE5mrMGckUTCarX58
"Earth has been hit by an ‘unusual, intense blast of energy’ from nearby galaxy that could change our understanding of the universe"

"...Earth has been hit by an intense, unusual blast of light that could change our understanding of the universe, scientists have said.

Late last year, scientists spotted a 50-second-long blast of energy coming towards Earth, known as a gamma-ray burst or GRB, which are the most powerful explosions in the universe. Immediately, researchers started looking for the afterglow that such blasts leave behind, with that visible light being useful to find where the blast has come from..."

"Earth hit by gamma-ray burst blast of radiation from neutron stars collision that created kilanova"
"...Earth hit by strange 'gamma-ray burst' blast of high-energy radiation from the collision of two neutron stars that change scientists’ understanding of how these cosmic explosions happen..."
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"...But those researchers instead found something else entirely: that the blast appeared to have come from a kilonova. Those rare events only happen when a neutron star merges with another very compact object – either another neutron star or a black hole.

The study challenges our understanding of where such long-lasting GRBs come from. But it could also provide an exciting way to answer other questions about the universe, such as where its heaviest elements come from, which still remains a mystery.

And the galaxy from which the GRB came from is also strange. It is young and still forming stars – the opposite of the only other known nearby galaxy that has played host to such an event.

“This event looks unlike anything else we have seen before from a long gamma-ray burst,” said Jillian Rastinejad, from Northwestern University, who led the study. “Its gamma rays resemble those of bursts produced by the collapse of massive stars.

Given that all other confirmed neutron star mergers we have observed have been accompanied by bursts lasting less than two seconds, we had every reason to expect this 50-second GRB was created by the collapse of a massive star. This event represents an exciting paradigm shift for gamma-ray burst astronomy.”

A paper describing the findings, ‘A kilonova following a long-duration gamma-ray burst at 350 Mpc’, is published in the journal Nature today.

The blast was first spotted in December 2021, by Nasa’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory and the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. Since then, researchers have been looking to categorise the explosion, and understand where it might have come from.

Among other findings, they showed that the one event produced heavy elements that amounted to roughly 1,000 times the mass of our Earth. That suggests that kilonovae are the main place that gold is produced in the universe.

And because the galaxy from which the GRB came from is relatively nearby, scientists were able to get an unusually good look at it. What’s more, that could help explain other gamma-ray bursts that do not seem to fit with our understanding of where they come from.

“This was a remarkable GRB,” said Benjamin Gompertz. “We don’t expect mergers to last more than about two seconds. Somehow, this one powered a jet for almost a full minute. It’s possible the behaviour could be explained by a long-lasting neutron star, but we can’t rule out that what we saw was a neutron star being ripped apart by a black hole.

“Studying more of these events will help us determine which is the right answer and the detailed information we gained from GRB 211211A will be invaluable for this interpretation.”

And scientists hope that the switch-on of the James Webb Space Telescope will get an even better view of kilonovae. That telescope is able to capture images of distant astronomical objects, and “sniff” their atmosphere, allowing it to see exactly what elements are present through a process known as spectroscopy.

“Unfortunately, even the best ground-based telescopes are not sensitive enough to perform spectroscopy,” Rastinejad said. “With the JWST, we could have obtained a spectrum of the kilonova. Those spectral lines provide direct evidence that you have detected the heaviest elements.”..."

"Powerful Gamma Ray Burst Hit Earth - The Outburst Shocked Astronomers"
"...Astronomers have never seen anything quite like it. On Oct. 9, 2022, Earth-orbiting satellites detected the strongest gamma-ray burst (GRB) in modern history: GRB221009A. How strong was it? It caused electrical currents to flow through the surface of our planet. Dr. Andrew Klekociuk in Tasmania recorded the effect using an Earth Probe Antenna.

Researchers have known since 1983 that gamma-ray bursts can ionize Earth’s atmosphere and, thus, disturb the great waveguide. This appears to be the first time anyone has recorded the effect using an Earth Probe Antenna.

The outburst on Oct. 9th shocked astronomers. “In our research group, we’ve been referring to this burst as the ‘BOAT’, or Brightest Of All Time, because when you look at the thousands of bursts gamma-ray telescopes have been detecting since the 1990s, this one stands apart,” says Jillian Rastinejad, an astronomer at Northwestern University who has been monitoring the burst’s afterglow using the Gemini South Telescope in Chile.

Researchers have since pinpointed the burst. It came from a dusty galaxy 2.4 billion light years away, almost certainly triggered by a supernova explosion giving birth to a black hole. This is actually the closest GRB ever recorded, thus accounting for its extreme intensity.
spaceweatherarchive.com/2022/... ..."
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"A Showing of STEVE"
"...This short video compiles still images, time-lapses and real-time videos of the Kp5-level aurora of August 7-8, 2022, which included a fine showing of the STEVE arc that often appears equator-ward of a strong display of aurora.

STEVE = Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement and is a river a hot gas flowing from east to west, not a normal aurora created by electrons raining down from the magnetosphere. The phenomenon was identified as something unique and worthy of study in 2016, though it has been sighted for decades prior.

STEVE appears to the eye as a colourless band but the camera picks up a pink or mauve colour, often with green “fingers” along the edge, the “picket-fence” effect. These do seem to be created by precipitating electrons. This night, after the fingers faded, a green rim did appear along the south edge of the main arc.

The real-time video records the flow of the STEVE gas, moving from east to west.
The location was southern Alberta, Canada, where we are often well-positioned to sight sub-auroral (i.e. south of the main auroral band) phenomena like STEVE and SAR arcs.

TECHNICAL:
The sequences of STEVE were taken with three cameras: a Canon R5 with a 15-35mm lens at 20mm on a tracker, a Canon R6 with a TTArtisan 11mm full-frame fish-eye lens, and a Canon Ra with a TTArtisan 7.5mm circular fish-eye lens. Exposures for the time-lapses were 20 to 30 seconds each.

The real-time videos were shot with the Canon R6 and a TTArtisan 21mm lens at f/1.5 and with the camera at ISO 51,200 and a dragged 1/8-sec shutter speed and in Canon Log3 mode. Colour grading applied in Final Cut Pro. .."
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"*Exclusive* Interview with eyewitness of a 'Rogue Dark Planet/Moon'! ENTIRE family saw it!"
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"Seems as if SOMETHING has the Earth all STIRRED up!"