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‘Largest’ cosmic blast baffles astronomers
Astronomers said on Friday they have identified the “largest” cosmic explosion ever observed, a fireball 100 times the size of our Solar System that suddenly began blazing in the distant universe more than three years ago. While the astronomers offered what they think is the most likely explanation for the explosion, they emphasized that more research was needed to understand the puzzling phenomenon. The explosion, called AT2021lwx, is not the brightest flash ever observed in the universe. That record is still held by a gamma-ray burst in October that was nicknamed BOAT — for Brightest Of All Time. Philip Wiseman, an astrophysicist at Britain’s University of Southampton and the lead author of a new study, said that AT2021lwx was considered the “largest” explosion because it had released far more energy over the last three years than was produced by BOAT’s brief flash. Wiseman said it was an “accidental discovery.” The Zwicky Transient Facility in California first spotted AT2021lwx during an automated sweep of the sky in 2020. But “it basically sat in a database” until being noticed by humans the following year, Wiseman said. It was only when astronomers, including Wiseman, looked at it through more powerful telescopes that they realized what they had on their hands. By analyzing different wavelengths of light, they worked out that the explosion was roughly eight billion light years away. That is much farther away than most other new flashes of light in the sky — which means the explosion behind it must be far greater. Brighter than sun It is estimated to be around two trillion times brighter than the Sun, Wiseman said. Astronomers have looked into several possible explanations. One is that AT2021lwx is an exploding star — but the flash is 10 times brighter than any previously seen “supernova.” Another possibility is what is called a tidal disruption event, when a star is torn apart as it is sucked into a supermassive black hole. But AT2021lwx is still three times brighter than those events, and Wiseman said their research did not point in this direction. The only somewhat comparable bright cosmic event is a quasar, when supermassive black holes swallow huge amounts of gas in the center of galaxies. But they tend to flicker in brightness, Wiseman said, whereas AT2021lwx suddenly started flaring up from nothing three years ago, and it is still blazing away. “This thing we have never, ever seen before — it just came out of nowhere,” Wiseman said. Plausible In the new study, published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, the international team of researchers laid out what they believe is the most likely scenario. Their theory is that a massive, single cloud of gas — around 5,000 times larger than the Sun — is slowly being consumed by a supermassive black hole. But Wiseman said that “in science, there’s never a certainty.” The team is working on new simulations to see if their theory is “fully plausible,” he added. One problem could be that supermassive black holes sit in the center of galaxies — for an explosion this size, the galaxy would be expected to be as vast as the Milky Way, Wiseman said. But no one has been able to spot a galaxy in the vicinity of AT2021lwx. “That’s an absolute puzzle,” Wiseman admitted. Now that astronomers know what to look for, they are searching the skies to see if other similar explosions have been missed. The post ‘Largest’ cosmic blast baffles astronomers appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Money lending firm collector killed in Zamboanga del Sur ambush
Gunmen killed a collector of a local money lending firm in a daytime ambush in Barangay Lutlutan in Dimataling town, Zamboanga del Sur on Wednesday......»»
7 nanlaban drug suspects dead after Baste Duterte declares drug war
Less than a week after Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte declared a "war on drugs" in the city, at least seven drug suspects were killed during a buy-bust operation in the city — violence that highlights the seriousness of the mayor's recent threat of outright killing persons caught using illegal drugs......»»
CHR alarmed by war vs drugs in Davao City
THE Commission on Human Rights (CHR) is alarmed by Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte’s “war against drugs”, as seven drug users were killed from different barangays in the city over the weekend, just a few hours after his declaration......»»
China blocks Philippine military supply boat in disputed waters (VIDEO)
Manilla and Beijing have traded accusations over a naval incident near the Spratly Islands Chinese patrol boats used water cannons on Saturday to disrupt an attempt by the Philippine military to deliver supplies to a reef in a disputed part of the South China Sea, where the Philippine Navy intentionally grounded a tan.....»»
China blocks Philippine military supply boat in disputed waters
Manilla and Beijing have traded accusations over a naval incident near the Spratly IslandsChinese patrol boats used water cannons on Saturday to disrupt an attempt by the Philippine military to deliver supplies to a reef in a disputed part of the South China Sea, where the Philippine Navy intentionally grounded a tank landing ship over two decades ago.The incident occurred near the Second.....»»
13 killed in vehicles collision in southern Philippines
MANILA, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Thirteen people were killed after a passenger van and a dump truck collided on a highway in Cotabato province in the southern Philippines on Monday, police and local media said. Police said the van, with about 15 passengers aboard, was negotiating a sloping curve when it was hit by the speeding dump truck in the opposite lane. The accident happened after 12 noon local time. In.....»»
Xinhua Asia-Pacific news summary at 1600 GMT, March 25
JAKARTA -- One was killed and nine others, including children, went missing after a landslide struck a village in the Indonesian province of West Java on Sunday, a local official said Monday. The disaster took place in Cibenda village in West Bandung regency on Sunday after torrential rain reportedly poured over the area for around two hours. (Indonesia-Landslide) - - - - SYDNEY -- Local media repo.....»»
3 suspected rebels killed in clash in Philippines Batangas
MANILA, March 26 (Xinhua) -- Three suspected rebels were killed in a clash with government forces in Batangas province, south of Manila, on Tuesday, the Philippine military said. The military said a 30-minute gunfight broke out around 6:30 a.m. local time after the troops ran into a group of New People's Army (NPA) rebels in Rosario town. The troops recovered three rifles, six jungle packs, and some mater.....»»
Xinhua world news summary at 1530 GMT, March 26
MANILA -- Three suspected rebels were killed in a clash with government forces in Batangas province, south of Manila, on Tuesday, the Philippine military said. The military said a 30-minute gunfight broke out around 6:30 a.m. local time after the troops ran into a group of New People's Army (NPA) rebels in Rosario town. (Philippines-Clash) - - - - BEIRUT -- Two people were killed and nine other civ.....»»
Army troops kill BIFF training officer in Maguindanao clash
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (MindaNews / 25 March) – Philippine Army troops killed an alleged ranking member of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) during an encounter in Maguindanao del Sur last Friday. Brig. General Jose Vlademir Cagara, commander of the Army’s 1st Brigade Combat team, said troops killed Abu Halil, a training officer of the […].....»»
17 killed as truck loaded with sand collides with passenger van
COTABATO CITY (MindaNews /25 March) – Seventeen persons were killed when a truck loaded with sand collided with a passenger van in Antipas, North Cotabato Monday noon. Captain Godofredo Tupas, Chief of Police of Antipas town said the collision happened along a curve at the boundary of Barangay Greenhills and Lohong at 12:48 p.m. The van […].....»»
Xinhua Asia-Pacific news summary at 1600 GMT, March 25
JAKARTA -- One was killed and nine others, including children, went missing after a landslide struck a village in the Indonesian province of West Java on Sunday, a local official said Monday. The disaster took place in Cibenda village in West Bandung regency on Sunday after torrential rain reportedly poured over the area for around two hours. (Indonesia-Landslide) - - - - SYDNEY -- Local media repo.....»»
Philippines accuses Chinese coastguard of firing water cannons at supply boats
Manila [Philippines], March 23 (ANI): The Philippines has accused China's coastguard of firing water cannons at one of its supply boats in South China Sea, Al Jazeera reported. The Armed Forces of the Philippines said that BRP Cabra managed to manoeuvre and reach Unaizah May 4 to provide assistance to the Philippine supply boat, which had sustained "significant damage."According to the Philippine military, the confrontati.....»»
2 dead, 34 injured in road crashes in Philippines over weekend
MANILA, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Two people died and 34 others were hurt in two separate road crashes in the Philippines over the weekend, local authorities said Sunday. A municipal disaster prevention official said a female bus collector was killed after a passenger bus rammed into a trailer truck parked on the roadside in a town in Davao de Oro province in the southern Philippines around 4 a.m. local time on Sunda.....»»
China blocks Philippine military supply boat in disputed waters (VIDEO)
Manilla and Beijing have traded accusations over a naval incident near the Spratly Islands Chinese patrol boats used water cannons on Saturday to disrupt an attempt by the Philippine military to deliver supplies to a reef in a disputed part of the South China Sea, where the Philippine Navy intentionally grounded a tan.....»»
China blocks Philippine military supply boat in disputed waters
Manilla and Beijing have traded accusations over a naval incident near the Spratly IslandsChinese patrol boats used water cannons on Saturday to disrupt an attempt by the Philippine military to deliver supplies to a reef in a disputed part of the South China Sea, where the Philippine Navy intentionally grounded a tank landing ship over two decades ago.The incident occurred near the Second.....»»
13 killed in vehicles collision in southern Philippines
MANILA, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Thirteen people were killed after a passenger van and a dump truck collided on a highway in Cotabato province in the southern Philippines on Monday, police and local media said. Police said the van, with about 15 passengers aboard, was negotiating a sloping curve when it was hit by the speeding dump truck in the opposite lane. The accident happened after 12 noon local time. In.....»»
DFA summons Chinese envoy over latest sea confrontation
The DFA said in a statement that the agency summoned the chargé d'affaires of the Chinese Embassy to protest “aggressive actions” by the China Coast Guard (CCG) and Chinese maritime militia against a civilian boat supplying troops stationed at BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal. .....»»
2 carjack suspects killed in Bulacan ‘shootout’
Two suspected carjackers were killed in an alleged shootout in Bulacan on Saturday night......»»