Multi-messaging: Agreed terms help sensible discussion

Catastrophe

"Science begets knowledge, opinion ignorance.
We are familiar with multi-messaging in our normal lives. It means receiving messages, or information, through our senses. We can see the flash of a firework, hear the bang, maybe smell the combustion products. When it comes to astronomy, we are limited, at least initially, to one sense – that of receiving information over great distances, meaning sight. However, we have already augmented sight by mechanical means. Since Galileo first pointed his telescope at the larger moons of Jupiter, a whole new world has opened up. Over four hundred years later, we are now able to extend our senses in other means – more than simply augmenting our vision.

Events we may wish to study also send us messages in “other languages” – different wavelengths or other means of crossing great distances of intervening space. What if we could combine these messages, just as we combine messages in our normal lives to appreciate the multi-layered experience of a firework?


Astronomy The Age of multi-messenger astronomy by Arwen Rimmer June 2021
“Multi-messenger astronomy is the practice of synthesizing these various messengers from violent astronomical events . . . . . . . . . Exciting theories abound as to what kinds of exotic objects are sending out these cosmic messengers; superstrings; dark matter; and even ‘defects’ in the structure of the universe”? “The ultimate goal is to witness an event with all the messengers . . . “.
“The power of these combined messengers comes from the fact that each one is generated by one of the four forces of nature; photons by the electromagnetic force, gravitational waves by gravity, cosmic waves by the strong nuclear force, and neutrinos by the weak nuclear force.”

Wikipedia Multi-messenger astronomy Current 4th June 2021.
“The main multi-messenger sources . . . . . . are expected to be compact binary pairs (black holes and neutron stars), supernovae, irregular neutron stars, gamma-ray bursts, active galactic nuclei, and relativistic jets.”

In more mundane terms, multi-messaging will allow us to “smell and taste” the Universe, instead of just watching it through our telescopes.

Astronomy Quick takes: making waves February 2021
In late October, the LIGO and Virgo observatories announced the discovery of 39 gravitational wave signals caused by binary black hole or neutron star collisions. The signals, receive between April and October 2019, add to 11 previous detections.

Astronomy Source of fast radio bursts revealed February 2021
"After more than a decade of detective work, astronomers have found the best evidence yet for the cause of fast radio bursts, or FRBs. The culprit? Magnetars, according to 3 papers published in Nature November 4"
The first FRB observed in our home galaxy was in late April 2020 - also the first FRB associated with a single object. "This discovery (suggests that) some - and perhaps most - of these fast radio bursts from other galaxies also originate from magnetars."




Last addition 8th June 2021 11.15 BST.
 
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Catastrophe

"Science begets knowledge, opinion ignorance.
Astronomy The Age of multi-messenger astronomy by Arwen Rimmer June 2021 Conclusion:
"Like the old parable that teaches us blind men cannot make sense of an elephant by touching just one part of its body, the big picture of massive astronomical objects and events can only be made clear when all possible sources of information and synthesized. Perhaps then we will be able to approach the grand unification of the forces and finally make sense of it."
My emphasis.

Note from Wikipedia reference above:
The main multi-messenger sources . . . . . . are expected to be compact binary pairs (black holes and neutron stars), supernovae, irregular neutron stars, gamma-ray bursts, active galactic nuclei, and relativistic jets.” A new section on GRBs (Gamma Ray Bursts) is in preparation.

All About Space Issue 115 April 2021 Stellar cannibals mystery solved
"The mystery at the heart of an unexplained bright point of gamma ray light in the sky has been solved: there's a deadly spider star flaying a second wimpier star to bits, sending out rapid fire bursts of gamma radiation in the process." . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
"The redback star's radio emissions also sometimes get eclipsed by material blown off the surface of the companion star. All those features of the complex system produce strange, varying light patterns."

Extending telescopic capabilities:
All About Space Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope by Jason Rhodes Issue 115 April 2021
"Each time humanity launches a new space telescope, it opens up a new window to the Universe. . . . . . . . . . Roman Space Telescope will attempt to answer questions about dark energy through observations of gravitational lenses, supernovae and baryon acoustic oscillations - fluctuations in the density of the visible matter in the Universe." and more.



Last edit 13th June 2021 16.30 BST.
 
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Catastrophe

"Science begets knowledge, opinion ignorance.
Infra red wavelengths: DK Encyclopaedia of Space Heather Cowper and Nigel Henbest 2009

View: https://imgur.com/a/GFXdtLL


The same area of space, but what a different view when you see in infrared! Now the stars are dominated by the clouds of gas and dust.

View: https://imgur.com/a/ZskLCMs

"As its name suggests, infra red lies just beyond the red end of the visible spectrum. It cto one overs a much wider part of the electromagnetic spectrum than visible light: from 700 nanometres (billionths of a millimetre) to one millimetre, where radio waves begin. Astronomers divide infrared into four bands: near, mid-, and far infrared, and sub-millimetre waves. Observing infrared radiation is always a struggle within Earth's atmosphere, where carbon dioxide and water vapour absorb it. Some of the shorter and longer wavelengths, though, do reach mountain tops."

Infrared astronomy - Wikipedia



WORK IN PROGRESS Last edited 1st August 2021 22.00 BST
 
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One can take a measure of satisfaction, albeit minimal, about how governments spend some of their taxpayers' monies on the tools that expand our insight and knowledge beyond the limits of our visual spectrum. One fascinating fact is that Honey Bees can see in UV which appears to be a critical component of pollination which is much to our and the Earth's benefit. Perhaps governments should spend more money on discovery tools since Evolution's parsimony needs to be known.
 
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