Andia/Alamy; ESO
A SPACE explosion nicknamed “the Cow” keeps getting stranger. After months of observations, we still aren’t quite sure what it is but it may be part of a whole new class of blasts.
In June, astronomers spotted a remarkably fast and luminous explosion. It took just a few days to reach peak brightness, whereas most supernovae – which occur when stars blow up and die – take a few weeks or longer. And it was 10 to 100 times brighter than most normal supernovae.
Telescopes around the world were turned to face the blast, dubbed …