Astrophysicist I know recorded one in 2008. Later found to be exactly as one that happened in 1988. Could this actually be the same? Do they repeat?
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Supernovas blow up only once, but there are a whole class of less-powerful events (originally called novas) that can and do repeat.
These are generated when for example the accretion disc surrounding a massive object fills with ripped-up matter on its way to oblivion. Then the disc pours out a huge amount of thermal radiation extending all the way into the X-ray range. When that meal of matter is scavenged up by the massive object, the light goes out and the nova dims out until another big chunk of matter gets captured, the accretion disc fills up, and starts radiating again.
niels nielsen
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