An explosion 180 million light-years away that turned out to be much flatter than astronomers had previously predicted is challenging our understanding of explosions in space.

The discovery was made after scientists completely accidentally noticed a flash of polarized light. Using the astronomical equivalent of Polaroid sunglasses, they were able to measure the polarization of the explosion and measure the shape of the explosion with the Liverpool Telescope in La Palma. By reconstructing the 3D shape of the explosion, the scientists were able to map the edges of the explosion and see how flat it was.

“We never thought that explosions could be so aspherical. There are several possible explanations for this: It could be that the stars involved formed a disk just before they died, or there could be failed supernovae where the star’s core collapsed into a black hole. or a neutron star that then devoured the rest of the star,” Sheffield said. Dr Justin Maund, lead author of the study, from the University’s Department of Physics and Astronomy.

Centuries-old theories rejected

These mysterious explosions are so bright and developing so fast, they don’t act like exploding stars. As only a handful of FBOTs have been discovered, the new observation makes them even stranger. The discovery challenges our preconceptions about how stars might explode in the universe and hopes to bring us closer to understanding fast blue optical transits.

The Liverpool telescope used to observe the explosion has a mirror only 2.0 m in diameter. However, by studying polarization, astronomers were able to reconstruct the shape of the explosion as if the telescope were about 750 km in diameter. The researchers will now conduct a new survey with the Vera Rubin International Observatory in Chile to discover more FBOTs and better understand them.

Random observations reveal new phenomena

This latest discovery underscores the importance of chance discoveries in scientific research. Scientists often have to rely on random observations to discover new phenomena or challenge existing theories.

The Liverpool Telescope used to observe the explosion is just one example of the advanced technology used in modern astronomy. Advances in telescope technology and data analysis have allowed scientists to explore the universe in unprecedented detail, leading to new discoveries and insights into the mysteries of space.