Fast Blue Optical Transient - V1
Image may be cropped. Click to view. Fast Blue Optical Transient - V1
Artwork depicting a cataclysmic astronomical even called a fast blue optical transient (FBOT). These are epic explosions on a par with supernovae, kilonovae or gamma-ray bursts, but their rise to maximum brightness and their subsequent decline are much faster and concentrated in the blue part of the optical spectrum. Nobody is entirely sure what causes these events but they may be an exotic type of supernova. The image here represents an FBOT that was found in intergalactic space, not within a galaxy. Two nearby galaxies are shown. The image was commissioned by scientists at NOIRLab in Tucson.
Details

Title: Fast Blue Optical Transient - V1

Category: Misc

Date: Sep 2023

Client: NOIRLab

Medium: Photoshop

Keywords: Adobe Photoshop astrophysics cataclysm explosion extragalactic fast blue optical transient NOIRLab press release supernova