Chandra X-ray data show flickering supernova remnants in Messier 83
Astronomers just found some unusual X-ray changes coming from old supernova remnants in the Messier 83 galaxy, about 15 million light-years away.
14 years of NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory data showed that nearly half of these stellar leftovers aren't quietly fading. They're actually flickering in brightness.
This challenges what scientists thought they knew about how these cosmic explosions age.
Flickering linked to high-mass X-ray binaries
So, what's causing all this action?
Researchers think these remnants could be hiding high-mass X-ray binaries (basically, systems where a black hole or neutron star is stealing material from a large companion star and giving off strong, unpredictable X-rays).
These variable spots are hanging out where there are many massive stars, which backs up the theory.
This discovery gives scientists a fresh look at how galaxies and their wildest objects evolve over time.