X-ray flashes discovered about a decade ago Appear to originate from dying stars in the early universe. This is accordance to research from Radboud University. By Studying the Flashes, Researchers Can Learn More about the Early Universe.
Astronomer Peter Jonker discovered a striking flash in 2013 Whose Origin was Uncleear at the Time. It was a flash in X-ray light, one of the most energetic forms of light in the electromagnetic spectrum.
After Discovering The Flash, Jonker and Radboud Colleague Andrew Levan Delved Deeper Into The Data Archives of Satellites. Here they found another Thirty of Those Flashes. “But we Couldn’t Deduce What Caaased The Flashes,” The Researchers Write.
That has now changed. Last year, China Launched a Satellite Together with the European Space Agency Esa That Captures Exactly That Type Of X-ray Radiation. Jonker and Levan Were Able to use this to delve Deeper Into the X-ray flashes for the first time.
“To our Surprise, we recedived a signal from the satellite from a very great distance: 47 Billion parsecs to be precise – that’s about 1.4 Billion Billion Million kilometers (a 1 with 24 Zeros, ed.)”, They Say. Jonker and Levan Saw That the X-Ray Flash was created when a star exploded at the end of its life.
Because the Light Comes from Such An enormous distance and the speed of light is finite, the researchers conclude that the flash must originated in an early stage of the universe. By examining this light, They State that it is Possible to Gain Many New Insights About the Early Universe.