Astronomers have spotted a never-before-seen kind of supernova using an AI-powered algorithm similar to Spotify’s music recommendation system. The discovery was made possible by the use of Lightcurve Anomaly Identification and Similarity Search (LAISS), an astronomy AI that helps find unusual night-sky activity.
The AI identified unusual brightenings months before the explosion happened, alerting scientists to the potential for a supernova. This allowed a team of astronomers to observe the object across multiple wavelengths, providing valuable insights into how these explosions work.
Researchers believe the supernova was caused by a massive star orbiting a black hole, which led to gravitational stress and ultimately exploded. Alternatively, it could have been the result of “spaghettification,” where the black hole shredded the star. However, data suggests that the latter scenario is less likely.
By analyzing the chemical composition of the star before its explosion, scientists found that some outer material remained intact. This has led to a reevaluation of how binary interactions shape supernovas. The discovery highlights the potential of AI in astronomy and demonstrates the importance of rapid observations to uncover rare phenomena.
Source: https://www.livescience.com/space/astronomy/spotify-like-ai-helps-discover-never-before-seen-supernova-as-greedy-star-attempts-to-eat-a-black-hole