A kilonova is a cosmic phenomenon that occurs when two neutron stars or a neutron star and a black hole merge together, releasing a massive burst of energy. This event is typically less bright than a supernova but significantly brighter than a nova, hence the name “kilonova,” indicating it is approximately a thousand times more luminous than a typical nova. Kilonovae are notable for producing heavy elements like gold and platinum through rapid neutron capture, also known as the r-process. The 2017 observation of a kilonova following the gravitational wave event GW170817 provided the first direct evidence of these mergers as the origin of such heavy elements. The event also shed light on the mechanisms of short gamma-ray bursts, which are intense bursts of gamma rays lasting less than two seconds, often associated with these high-energy collisions.
Advanced 3D computer simulations have closely mirrored actual observations of light from neutron star mergers, enhancing our understanding of the origin of heavy elements. An…
When neutron stars collide they produce an explosion that, contrary to what was believed until recently, is shaped like a perfect sphere. Although how this…
Astronomers using the SMARTS 1.5-meter Telescope uncover a one-in-ten-billion binary star system. Astronomers using the SMARTS 1.5-meter Telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile,…
The NASA Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, whose Mission Operations Center is located at Penn State University, discovered a blast of high-energy light from a galaxy…
Long Gamma-Ray Bursts Can Be Generated by Neutron Star Mergers For nearly two decades, astrophysicists have believed that long gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) resulted solely from…
International Gemini Observatory uncovers surprising evidence of colliding neutron stars after probing aftermath of gamma-ray burst. While investigating the aftermath of a long gamma-ray burst…
Astronomers may have detected a “sonic boom” from a powerful blast known as a kilonova. This event—called GW170817—is a result of a merger of two…
Strange ‘sonic boom’ accompanied unprecedented event. Mysterious X-rays observed 3.5 years after the merger of two neutron stars Astrophysicists believe a kilonova afterglow or materials…
Neutron-Star Collision Releases Puzzling Burst of Infrared Light In our infinite universe, stars can go bump in the night. When this happens between a pair…
This illustration shows the hot, dense, expanding cloud of debris stripped from neutron stars just before they collided. This cloud produces a kilonova; that is…
This illustration shows the hot, dense, expanding cloud of debris stripped from two neutron stars just before they collided. Within this neutron-rich debris, large quantities…
Neutron star collision cooks up exotic elements, gravitational waves When some people get in the kitchen, they create a delicious meal but leave behind a…
Marking the beginning of a new era in astrophysics, astronomers have detected gravitational waves and electromagnetic radiation, or light, from the same event for the…
Using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers have observed a visible counterpart to gravitational waves for the first time: a kilonova from merging neutron stars….