APOD: 2026 October 19 - Treble Clef: Unusual X-ray Hot Radio Source - NASA Science (.gov)

A black hole and a galactic collision teamed up to create something wild.

Botteon et al.; Infrared: UKIDSS-GPS; Radio: ASTRON/LOFAR; Image processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/N. Astronomers have used NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory to break down the cause of a remarkable formation of radio waves they have nicknamed the "Treble Clef" because its distinct shape strongly resembles the musical symbol. The researchers discovered the Treble Clef is likely caused by an outburst from a supermassive black hole, followed by a collision of two galaxy clusters. A paper describing the findings, led by Andrea Botteon of the National Institute for Astrophysics, or INAF, in Italy, is published Wednesday in the Astronomy & Astrophysics journal.

Astronomers have used NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory to break down the cause of a remarkable formation of radio waves they have nicknamed the “Treble Clef” because its distinct shape strongly resembles the musical symbol. The researchers discovered the Treble Clef is likely caused by an outburst from a supermassive black hole, followed by a collision of two galaxy clusters. A paper describing the findings, led by Andrea Botteon of the National Institute for Astrophysics, or INAF, in Italy, published Wednesday in the Astronomy & Astrophysics journal.

OpenAI claims to have found proof of Sligo scientist’s equations but tech rivals are less than impressedGeorge Gabriel Stokes made profound contributions to hydrodynamics and devised and performed many ingenious experiments in optical science. Portrait: The Royal Society Aoife KearinsMon Oct 19 2026 - 06:00 • 4 MIN READA mathematical problem is making big news, with AI companies clashing over claims by one tech giant to have found the solution to the Navier-Stokes equations. Regarded as one of trickiest puzzles of mathematics, it has Irish connection. Who was George Gabriel Stokes? George Gabriel Stokes was born in Skreen, Co Sligo, in August 1819, the son of the local Protestant minister. After schooling at home, in Dublin, and in Bristol, Stokes entered the University of Cambridge in 1837 to study mathematics. He held many of the most significant roles in 19th century science, including Lucasian Professor of Mathematics – a position previously held by Isaac Newton and later held by Stephen Hawking – and Member of Parliament for Cambridge University.

The annual Orionid meteor shower reaches its peak this week, offering the chance to see fragments of the most famous comet of all streaking across the night sky. The Orionids occur every October as Earth passes through a stream of dust left behind by Halley’s comet. As these tiny particles plunge into Earth’s atmosphere at about 66 kilometres per second, they heat the surrounding air and produce the fleeting streaks of light that we call meteors. This year, the shower is expected to reach its peak during the night of 21–22 October. Under ideal conditions, observers may see between 10 and 20 Orionid meteors per hour. Unfortunately, conditions this year are not ideal because of the presence of a bright waxing gibbous Moon. This will drown out many of the fainter meteors. Nevertheless, conditions improve during the early hours of the morning. The moon sets at about 03:00 BST, leaving a few hours of darker sky before dawn, just as Orion is climbing high into the sky. Find a safe location with as wide a view of the heavens as possible and simply watch with the naked eye. The chart shows the view looking south-east from London at midnight as 21 becomes 22 October.