Research roundup: 7 cool science stories we almost missed
摘要
本月值得关注的科学故事包括：天文学家在詹姆斯·韦布空间望远镜数据中发现一种新型天体，其大小与恒星相当，但能量输出远超核聚变所能解释的范围，接近活跃黑洞的水平，故被称为“黑洞星”。此外，研究还涉及利用微生物分解塑料并将其转化为可食用饼干、鲸鱼叫声与爱因斯坦狭义相对论的关联，以及鳄梨树花朵在白天发生性别转换等发现。
It’s a regrettable reality that there is never enough time to cover all the interesting scientific stories we come across. So every month, we highlight a handful of the best stories that nearly slipped through the cracks. August’s list includes the discovery of a new celestial object astronomers have dubbed a "black hole star"; breaking down plastics with microbes and turning them into edible cookies; how whale calls are connected to Einstein's special theory of relativity; and how avocado tree flowers switch sex during the day, among other highlights.
Discovery of a "black hole star"
Credit: Rohan Naidu (University of Hawai'i)
In 2024, astronomers combing through datasets taken by the James Webb Space Telescope noticed hundreds of mysterious little red dots lurking therein, believed to be baby quasars. They existed when the Universe was just a few hundred million years old. One such object in particular captured scientists' interest: a red dot that was extremely red and very bright, but whose properties didn't fit with any known astrophysical object. Astronomers have now concluded that the little red dot is a "black hole star," so named because it is the size of a large star but produces far more energy than would be possible via nuclear fusion—energy comparable to what an active black hole would produce.
转载信息
评论 (0)
暂无评论，来留下第一条评论吧