Jan. 12, 2009 -- Almost three years ago, astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope were perusing a cluster of galaxies about eight billion light-years from Earth when they came upon a flash of light unlike anything they had seen before. Over the next 100 days, the object gradually brightened. Then it spent another 100 days growing dimmer, until it finally vanished from view. Astronomers speaking last week at the American Astronomical Society meeting in Long Beach, Calif., still have no idea what it was -- or is. Chemical analysis of the light proved just as puzzling as its visual effects, said Kyle Barbary of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, Calif. Related Content: Get the Latest in Science and Tech News From Discovery Discovery Space: The 10 Weirdest Things in Space Irene Klotz's Blog: Free Space "We have never seen anything like it," Barbary told reporters. "No one has been able to come up with a good explanation for this object." The target was given the designation SCP 06F6 -- a nod to the Supernova Cosmology Project survey that was underway when the object was discovered on Feb. 21, 2006. It does not match any known supernova or other cosmological event. Astronomers also do not know if SCP 06F6 was relatively near, possibly even in our Milky Way galaxy, or quite far. Get More NewsSpiders, Scorpions Among World's Oldest CreaturesMany creepy crawlies have been on Earth much longer than previously believed.Blood-Sucking Vampire Bats Sing DuetsWhite-winged vampire bats "harmonize" with separated roost mates.Oldest Hebrew Writing Possibly FoundAncient inscriptions on a 3,000-year-old pottery shard could make history.Rare, Prehistoric-Age Reptile Found in N.Z.A tuatara has been spotted on the New Zealand mainland for the first time in 200 years.Iceman Has No Living RelativesOetzi, the 5,300 year-old frozen mummy, left no living genetic legacy.SLIDE SHOW: Landscapes of TerrorWhat makes a place feel scary? There are scientific explanations.It's Official: People Are Warming the PolesHumans are conclusively to blame for polar warming, say scientists.Eight-Armed Animal Preceded DinosaursWhat may be one of Earth's first animals was no bigger than a coaster and had eight arms.Phoenicians Live on in People's GenesOne in 17 Mediterranean men may be descended from ancient Phoenicians.Pesticides, Fertilizers Linked to Frog DeclineA pesticide is found to promote parasites among amphibians.Hubble Telescope Taking Photos AgainThe Hubble Space Telescope is once again snapping stunning photos of the universe.Andean Mummy Hairs Show Hallucinogen UseScientists find direct evidence of hallucinogenic drug use among ancient Andeans.Opals on Mars Reveal Planet's Long Wet PastOpals found on Mars suggest the planet has been wet for much longer. |
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