Astronomers have uncovered one of the strangest cosmic events ever recorded, thanks to an artificial intelligence system modeled after music recommendation algorithms.
The rare supernova, named SN 2023zkd, was first flagged by AI after unusual fluctuations in its light curve set it apart from typical stellar explosions. Instead of a single bright flash followed by a gradual fade—as is normally seen with supernovae—this star appeared to brighten over several years, dim dramatically, and then flare up again in a second explosive burst.
Researchers believe the bizarre sequence may be the result of a giant star colliding with or attempting to absorb a black hole, a phenomenon never before observed. The star’s unstable behavior could shed new light on how massive stars live and die, while also expanding our understanding of how black holes interact with their stellar neighbors.
The discovery highlights how machine learning is transforming astronomy. By analyzing enormous datasets of light curves from telescopes, AI can pick out anomalies that humans might miss—helping scientists spot rare events in the vast sea of ordinary stellar activity.
“This is a glimpse into a completely new category of stellar explosions,” one astrophysicist noted. “Without AI, we might never have found it.”
For now, SN 2023zkd remains an astronomical mystery. But its strange behavior raises exciting questions about how stars and black holes dance at the edge of cosmic destruction.