Scientists discover most powerful starburst ever observed

The Sun is characterised by flares and coronal mass ejections. Stars far away from us are no different in this respect. Scientists were recently able to see the most powerful flare in observational history.

Here's What We Know

Researchers at Kyoto University in Japan have seen the most powerful flare ever observed. One of the V1355 Orionis stars, 400 light years away, ejected nearly 1000 km/s worth of matter. The outburst was an order of magnitude larger than the most powerful such events on the Sun.

The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) space observatory was used for the observation. It is designed to search for exoplanets. The Seimei Telescope, which measures nearly four metres, also helped.

Astronomers do not fully understand the nature of flares, so such observations are very useful, especially when it comes to anomalies. They allow for more accurate prediction of solar flares.