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    FBOTs tagged posts

    Rare blue optical transient points to possible new class of cosmic explosion

    July 27, 2026, Categories  Astronomy/Space

    Chinese astronomers discover a peculiar optical transient displaying unique emission properties
    Artist’s conception illustrating the aftermath of an intermediate-mass black hole tearing apart a passing star, resulting in an accretion disk and narrow relativistic jet (top left). The dotted line indicates our line of sight from Earth. The jet’s off-axis afterglow only became visible once the expanding radio emission (bottom right) had grown wide enough to sweep into our line of sight, causing that emission to brighten dramatically years after the initial event. Credit: NSF/AUI/NSF NRAO/M.Weiss

    Chinese astronomers report the detection of a peculiar optical transient event that occurred in the center of a dwarf galaxy. The newly discovered event, designated AT2019ijncn a paper published July 6 in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

    One of the rarest transients
    Among astronomical tra...

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    The ‘Cow’ mystery strikes back: Two more Rare, Explosive Events captured

    May 27, 2020, Categories  Astronomy/Space

    Artist’s illustration detailing the structure of FBOTs. Credit: Bill Saxton, NRAO/AUI/NSF

    The ‘Cow’ is not alone; with the help of W. M. Keck Observatory on Maunakea in Hawaii, astronomers have discovered two more like it—the ‘Koala’ and a similar mysterious bright object called CSS161010. This trio of fast blue optical transients (FBOTs) appear to be relatives, all belonging to a highly-luminous family that has a track record for surprising astronomers with their fast, powerful bursts of energy.

    The ‘Koala,’ which is a nickname derived from the tail end of its official name ZTF18abvkwla, suddenly appeared as a bright new source in the optical sky before disappearing within just a few nights...

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