Massive burst of gamma-rays from nearby star system a real possibility: Astronomers

An image of Apep captured using thermal infrared imaging on ESO's VLT telescope in Chile. Scientists believe the structure originates from the centre, and the whole system contains three stars. Image courtesy: University of Sydney/ESO[/caption]"We knew immediately we had found something quite exceptional: the luminosity across the spectrum from the radio to the infrared was off the charts," Dr Joe Callingham, lead author of the study from the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, told university press."When we saw the stunning dust plume coiled around these incandescent stars, we decided to name it 'Apep' — the monstrous serpent deity and mortal enemy of Sun god Ra from Egyptian mythology."Two of Apep's stars are of the Wolf-Rayet variety, which means they are not just massive, but nearing the end of their life. These stars could explode into supernovae at any time, resulting in a cataclysmic gamma-ray event that could create extreme conditions in the solar system."Normal supernovae are already extreme events but adding rotation to the mix can really throw gasoline on the fire," co-author Benjamin Pope from New York University told university press. "The rapid rotation puts Apep into a whole new class."