Spacetime With Stuart Gary

SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 155*Discovery of a New Class of Cosmic X-RayAstronomers have identified a new class of cosmic X-ray source, potentially originating from a novel type of nova event. The study, published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters, reveals 29 unusual objects in the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds. These objects displayed unexpected behaviours, such as long-duration X-ray outbursts and recurring outbreaks. The findings suggest these sources, dubbed 'Milli Novae', could play a crucial role in understanding astrophysical phenomena, especially as they may contribute to the mass of white dwarfs, potentially leading to Type 1A supernovae.*Uncovering the Secrets of the CentaursUsing the James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers have begun studying centaurs, a unique family of comet-like asteroids orbiting between Jupiter and Neptune. The study of 2060 Chiron reveals surface chemistry unlike any other known centaur, with carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide ices, and methane gases in its coma. These