The Sky is Not Static: A Quick Guide to The Astronomer’s Telegram (ATel)

 

For most people, the night sky feels completely permanent and unchanging. But for astronomers, the universe is an incredibly dynamic place filled with sudden stellar explosions, moving space rocks, and unpredictable flares.

When a massive star goes supernova or a black hole wakes up, scientists don't have months to wait for a peer-reviewed academic journal to be published—they need to tell the world right now. That is where The Astronomer’s Telegram comes in.

As always, there is an article over at Eadsy Astronomy LINK and a link to this resource there.  Please join our community there and subscribe on our YouTube channel! Thanks! 

The Universe's Most Impatient Star: M31N 2008-12a

 

Tucked away in the spiral arms of our nearest large galactic neighbor, the Andromeda Galaxy (M31), sits a stellar system that defies everything we thought we knew about stellar patience. It goes by the unassuming catalog name M31N 2008-12a (or simply "12a"), but to astronomers, it is the most extreme and fascinating recurrent nova ever discovered. It is an object I have written about a lot in the past (see these older blog posts from my blog: 2015 Article and 2017 Article and the 2018 Article). This is a precusor object to a Type Ia supernovae that will ond day, in the future go off. For me and I hope for you, it is fascinating. Come learn more. 

To read my article and for links to my 2015, 2017 and 2018 articles here on this blog, please head over to Eadsy Astornomy.  Please hit subscribe on the YouTube video and please join us at our community at Eadsy Astronomy.