What do a cow, a koala, a camel, a Tasmanian devil and now a finch all have in common? They are nicknames given to a weird class of space explosions scientists can’t explain. They are more technically called luminous fast blue optical transients, or LFBOTs. These space explosions are much brighter than supernovas (which occur when stars explode), hence the “luminous” designation. They brighten quickly — hence “fast” — and are extremely hot, reaching 70,000 degrees Fahrenheit, and thus emitting “blue” light.

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Persons: We’ve, ”, Daniel Perley, Finch, Perley Organizations: Liverpool John Moores University, Palomar Locations: Tasmanian, Madagascar, England, California