What's The Brightest Thing In the Universe?

TL;DR

Quasars, fueled by supermassive black holes, are the brightest objects in the universe, shining thousands of times more brightly than galaxies.

Transcript

Hey, Vsauce. Michael here. This symbol, commonly called a Yin Yang symbol, is a taijitu meaning diagram of the supreme ultimate. The principal of Yin and yang, opposites existing in harmony, is associated with ancient Chinese philosophy. But the very first use of the iconography, the classic symbol, actually comes from a shield pattern used by the ... Read More

Key Insights

• 🤬 The Yin Yang symbol originated from a Roman shield pattern, not ancient China.
• 🔅 Absolute magnitude measures the brightness of objects in the universe from the same distance.
• 🤩 R136a1 is the most massive and brightest star ever found.
• 🙌 Gamma ray bursts are the brightest electromagnetic events in the universe.
• 🖤 Quasars are fueled by supermassive black holes and can shine thousands of times brighter than galaxies.
• ✴️ Quasars represent an early phenomenon in the universe's history, when black holes were actively consuming stars to fuel their accretion discs.
• 💥 Quasars can still be born, with the collision of the Andromeda Galaxy and the Milky Way potentially reigniting a quasar in the future.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is the difference between apparent magnitude and absolute magnitude?

Apparent magnitude refers to how bright an object appears from Earth, while absolute magnitude measures the brightness of objects from the same distance in the universe.

Q: How does R136a1 compare to the Sun in terms of brightness?

R136a1 is 8.7 million times brighter than the Sun, with an absolute magnitude of -12.6.

Q: What are gamma ray bursts?

Gamma ray bursts are intense flashes of radiation released during supernova explosions, releasing as much energy in a few seconds as the Sun does in its entire lifetime.

Q: How bright are quasars compared to galaxies?

Quasars shine thousands of times brighter than galaxies, with some having absolute magnitudes as low as -31.4.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The Yin Yang symbol was first used on a Roman shield pattern, long before its use in ancient China.

• Absolute magnitude measures the brightness of objects in the universe from the same distance, with the Sun having a magnitude of 4.8.

• R136a1, the most massive star ever found, has an absolute magnitude of -12.6, making it 8.7 million times brighter than the Sun.