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Source-This post on Astronomical Transients has been created based on the article “Astronomical transients: bright in the blink of an eye” published in “The Hindu” on 29 May 2024.
Why in News?
Recently, Shrinivas Kulkarni, an Indian-American astronomer, received the 2024 Shaw Prize in Astronomy for his contributions to understanding the physics of astronomical transients.
About Astronomical Transients
1. An astronomical transient is any celestial object that experiences changes in brightness over short periods of time. These phenomena are typically associated with violent events in space.
2. Astronomers study transients to understand the sources and mechanisms of their violent behavior and to gain insights into more stable astronomical events.
Examples of Astronomical Transients
1. Supernovae: It occur when the outer layers of a large star explode and the core implodes, triggered by the star’s exhaustion of fusionable elements. Some supernovae can outshine all other stars in their host galaxy combined, due to their intense brightness.
2. Active Galactic Nucleus (AGN): It was found at the centers of massive galaxies. These are supermassive black holes that actively consume nearby matter. The interaction between the black holes and their surrounding matter causes the latter to gain energy and vary in brightness.
3. Fast Radio Burst (FRB): It was first identified in 2007. It is capable of emitting energy exceeding ten times that of the sun in just a few milliseconds.
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