Burst of Light Between Galaxies

Produced by the Space Telescope Science Institute’s Office of Public Outreach in collaboration with NASA’s Universe of Learning partners: Caltech/IPAC, Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, and NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Video imagery:

·        Artist’s illustration of LFBOT AT2023fhn: NASA, ESA, NSF's NOIRLab, Mark Garlick , Mahdi Zamani

·        Hubble Space Telescope image of LFBOT AT2023fhn: NASA, ESA, STScI, Ashley Chrimes (ESA-ESTEC/Radboud University)

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A grid of photographs of celestial bodies moves up. A white line moves down and another across. Text, News from the universe. The text is above an image of Jupiter. 

 

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Text, October 13, 2023. Burst of Light Between Galaxies. Illustration. 

 

A Luminous Fast Blue Optical Transient (L.F.B.O.T.) is a rare, bright flash in the sky with unknown origins. 

 

A flash of white light radiates out into shades of blue and red. 

 

Text, Hubble Space Telescope observations of the latest L.F.B.O.T. discovery have only deepened the mystery. 

 

Red lines mark the location of a white dot of light above several galaxies. 

 

Text, Hubble observations placed the L.F.B.O.T. nicknamed "the Finch" in between galaxies. 

 

Without a clear host galaxy, it is unlikely the Finch is the result of a star exploding as a supernova. 

 

Other possible explanations include that L.F.B.O.Ts occur when two neutron stars collide, or when stars are torn apart by the gravity of a black hole. 

 

This news was brought to you in part by the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, MD. 

 

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