Imagine you're an alien on a distant planet and you're desperate to let everyone know you're there. Instead of howling aimlessly into the void, how can you give yourself the best chance of being heard? According to new research, extraterrestrial civilisations could piggyback a signal onto one the brightest beacons in the known Universe: a supernova.
These cataclysmic explosions detonate as the biggest stars die. For a time they shine as brightly as 10 billion Suns and release as much energy as the Sun will emit in its entire 10-billion-year lifetime. When a supernova goes off, astronomers sit up and take notice.
In May this year, astronomers erupted in a flurry of excitement when they spotted the supernova SN 2023ixf detonate in the Pinwheel Galaxy (also known as M101). "It was the closest supernova in a decade," says James Davenport, an assistant professor at the University of Washington. It was bright enough to see with amateur telescopes, even though M101 is 21 million light-years away.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der August 2023-Ausgabe von BBC Science Focus.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der August 2023-Ausgabe von BBC Science Focus.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
We can learn valuable lessons from the ‘polar bear capital of the world'
As the climate crisis pushes humans and animals closer together, it's crucial that we coexist with kindness
The aftermath
ALTADENA, CALIFORNIA
The map that may lead to a new obesity treatment
A better understanding of the pathways in the human hypothalamus has huge possibilities for medicine
Is creating a 'woolly mammoth mouse' a step too far for biotechnology?
Are scientists so preoccupied with whether or not they could bring back mammoths, that they're not concerned with whether they should?
GOING DEEP
An advanced new research station is being developed to explore the potential for a human settlement under the ocean
THE ASIAN PALM CIVET
The world might have paid little attention to the Asian palm civet, were it not for the Dutch settlers who planted coffee trees on the islands of Java, Sumatra and Sulawesi, some 300 years ago.
Energy companies shift blame to consumers
Study finds top polluters weave 'eco-hero' narratives
ARE SATELLITES BURNING UP IN THE ATMOSPHERE BAD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT?
About 13,000 satellites currently orbit Earth, roughly 10,000 of which are operational. But that number is set to skyrocket, with a staggering 50,000 new satellites on track to join them by 2030.
Earth's inner core may be changing its spin and its shape
Changes to seismic waves travelling through the planet could reveal unusual activity in Earth's core
WHY DO I FIND IT SO DIFFICULT TO SWITCH BETWEEN TASKS?
First, the good news is you’re not alone – most people are terrible at task switching. Secondly (and in even more good news), psychologists have been studying it for decades to figure out why.
